SM St Patrick wins mock trial contest
TAWAU: SM St Patrick was adjudged the winner in the first Griffith Law School Sabah High Schools Mock Trial Competition 2018 held at the school's hall yesterday morning.
St Patrick's defence team beat Vision School's prosecution team in a civil case concerning the loss of a 2006 BMW M3 Coupe sent for service at a car service station.
The plaintiff Clifford Chung claimed for damages, statutory interest thereon at the rate of 8 percent per annum to the date of full payment, cost and further or other relief from the defendant Parker Service Sdn Bhd which the Honourable Court deems fit.
Magistrate Amir Shah Amir Hassan who presided the mock case announced the St Patrick team was adjudged the winner after all points from both teams were totalled.
The St Patrick team was represented by Samson Lai Chung Hung (1st Barrister), Elaine Hiew Yi Ling (2nd Barrister), Frederic Lee Yii Heng (Solicitor), Cagril A/L Krishnan (1st Witness), Siti Saleena Samutu (2nd Witness) and Saffiq Uduman (Court Officer), while Vision School team was represented by Amanda Lee Hia Yit (1st Barrister), Elissa Chiew Hui En (2nd Barrister), Amanda Lidis (Solicitor), Chu Yong Jein (1st Witness), Marvin James Tais (2nd Witness) and Megan Wong Mei Teng (Magistrate's Clerk).
Coaches for the St Patrick team were Pearl Lee Chee Shia, Pang Phin Ping from Shim Pang & Co., Raymond Guok and Andy Tay Kok Siong from Andy Tay & Associates, while Vision School was coached by Evan Chee Vui Seong (Chee & Co.) and Liew Mei Yee (WV & Partners).
Four schools in the district have been selected to participate in the first Griffith Law School Sabah High Schools Mock Trial Competition 2018, that is taking place between April and June this year.
The selected schools are Vision School, SM St Patrick, SMK Tawau and SMK Kuhara which are among the sixteen teams from Sabah's leading schools. The other schools are SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin, Institiut Sinaran, Kian Kok Middle School, Kota Kinabalu High School, La Salle Secondary School, Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School, SMK St Francis Convent, SM St Michael (Penampang) from Kota Kinabalu; SMK Sandakan, SMJK Tiong Hua, Sung Siew Secondary School and St Cecilia Convent Secondary School from Sandakan.
St Patrick's school principal Lee Ken Voon said the competition as a good opportunity for students to be exposed as lawyers and judges professions and hopes the students gain experience and benefited from the competition as it would help them they choose to become lawyers in future.
Magistrate Amir Shah said the students have potential t become future lawyers if they want to pursue law and congratulated both teams for their performance.
Magistrate Melissa Chia who presided competition between SMK Kuhara and SMK Tawau at SMK Kuhara's shool hall in the afternoon judged SMK Tawau as the winner.
SMK Tawau team were Helennie Jeanes Lorelai Mamac Nur Adilah Ariqah Arsani, Nur Fatin Hani Sjiaola, Mukriz Muslianshah, Syuhada Ismail and Sarah Adrieana Matnoor, while SMK Kuhara's team were Fayad Naufal Joldah, Nunka Anaan Widdie, Ain Munrrah Mustafah, Erin Hanna Yeo, Nur Farisha Alia M. Sofian and Nurfaeiza Roaslan.
Coaches for SMK Tawau were Chin Shuk Theeng and Kong Ping Yin and for SMK Kuhara Lo Shan Ping and Kelly Teo.
Melissa said it was her privilege to be able to come back to participate in the event and she is sure the same goes to the coaches as well.
She said investing their time in the younger generation and to assist them to discover their gifts were so satisfying and she must say it was something of eternal value.
“It is the first time that Tawau has four schools to take part in this competition. Tawau is a small town and I believe good things can come from this small but wonderful place. Great things can be discovered here. And everyone of you here can be great. You just need to unleash your greatness. Teachers and coaches play a part to unleash such greatness in you,” she said.
“To me, it does not matter whether anyone of you sitting here would end up doing law. This is not my concern. What I am passionate in seeing is that through this competition, which is the hardest public speaking competition for any high school student, you can develop your confidence and gifts. Who knows through this competition, you will discover your gifts. Some of you here are good in paper work or some of you here are very good in giving spontaneous response or some of you here are good in administration skills and some of you here are good in public speaking,”
From this competition, she said students can see that, not just in legal profession but in any thing related to public speaking that they want to embark in the future.
“It all boils down with preparation, preparation and preparation. We must read a lot, must prepare ourselves well, improve in our English and learn to speak well. Again, this is a long process which we are still learning,”
“Last but not least, I wish you all the best in your future undertaking. This competition is not the end. This is an open door for you all here to discover your gifts,” she concluded.
The winning teams from Sandakan and Tawau will be flown to Kota Kinabalu for the Grand Final between 29 June and 1 July.
The competition is jointly organized with the Sabah Law Society and local education services provider MMS Market Management Services Sdn. Bhd., and supported by the Griffith Law School at Griffith University, the Sabah High Schools Mock Trial Competition will provide a privilege introduction to the workings of the legal system to almost a hundred young Sabahans this year.