Present office bearers on the Legal Profession Qualifying Board should resign following their 'hasty' decision to annul the results of two examinations recently, said a PRM leader today.

"We urge all individuals on the board and its secretariat who are responsible for the mismanagement to offer their resignations for the mess that has resulted from their decision," said party vice-president R Sivarasa in a statement.

Last Monday, the board announced that the results of the July Certificate in Legal Practice examination and its October supplementary test were nullified because of suspected leaks.

Sivarasa also called on the board to reveal a detailed account of whether and how much it knew about the leaks of the examination papers before the examinations took place in July and October.

"If the leaks were minimal, then the decision to nullify all the results will be unreasonable.

"But to date, the board has not provided sufficient facts to convince the public that their decision was reasonable and necessary to reserve the integrity of the law practice qualifications," said Sivarasa who is also a lawyer.

Failing to explain themselves or retracting their decision to nullify the examinations, affected candidates would have no option but to take appropriate legal actions, he said.

"Silence from the board will only invite the conclusion that there was negligence on their part," he added.

The six-member board is made up of Attorney-General Ainum Mohamed Saaid, Federal Court judge Siti Norma Yaakob, High Court judge Abdul Wahab Patail, chief registrar of Federal Court Abdul Wahab Said Ahmad, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Assoc Prof Shamsuddin Suhor, and Bar Council chairman Mah Weng Kwai.

Candidates angered

The board's decision irked the 232 candidates who passed the CLP examination. The candidates are now seeking legal advice on how to cope with the situation, some are attempting to hold a negotiation with the examination board.

Most of the candidates have started chambering and have been granted a short-call to appear in subordinate courts and the High Court to mention cases, six months before they are admitted to the bar.

Inspector-General of Police Norian Mai said recently that the case was solved with the arrest of two clerks working for the board and several law graduates, who possessed the leaked papers.

Following this, opposition leaders such as DAP national chairperson Lim Kit Siang and his deputy, Karpal Singh, urged the examination board to retract their earlier decision so as to protect the interests of innocent candidates.

Sivarasa today questioned the management of the Qualifying Board, saying the leaks of both examination papers were proof of the board's administrative weaknesses.

He also criticised the board for not issuing a written letter to the candidates who were affected and the court authorities.

It was reported that candidates who obtained their CLP this year continue to receive short-calls from the High Court despite the Qualifying Board's decision last week.