By V Anbalagan | Malaysia | FMT |
KUALA LUMPUR: The late Manjeet Singh Dhillon was beyond a shadow of a doubt one of the best criminal lawyers this country ever has produced, and was especially skilled in cross-examining prosecution witnesses, a lawyer said.
Ravinder Singh Dhalliwal said Manjeet’s courtroom advocacy was “an art and a joy to watch”.
“Manjeet’s cross-examinations were legendary—precise, cutting, and always with purpose,” he said at a reference proceeding held on Friday for 20 legal practitioners who passed away last year.
Justices Amarjeet Singh and Anand Ponnudurai co-presided over the event at the High Court here.
According to Ravinder, Manjeet often said: “Go for the jugular. Don’t waste time with irrelevant questions.”
He said Manjeet defended some of the most difficult cases, including the S. Nallakaruppan arms possession case as well as the murder trials of cosmetics millionaire Sosilawati Lawiya and former minister Mokhtar Hashim.
“He stood in the fire when others backed away from the heat,” said Ravinder.
Manjeet also represented Abdul Razak Baginda, a former aide of ex-prime minister Najib Razak, in a RM100 million civil suit filed by the late Altantuya Shaariibuu’s family.
Manjeet was also described as a wordsmith, and was a skilled writer who expertly used language—often with a focus on creativity and eloquence.
Manjeet, Ravinder said, stood as both a pillar of the legal fraternity and a relentless sentinel of justice.
“He was, in the truest and most noble sense of the word, a ‘lawyer’s lawyer’. He was not merely learned in law – he was devoted to its spirit, uncompromising in its ethics, and unafraid in its pursuit,” he added.
Noted for his no-nonsense approach in human affairs, Ravinder said Manjeet also had a soft spot for animals and once served as president of PAWS Animal Welfare Society.
He read law at Middle Temple and was admitted to the Bar in 1977.
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