Feruz Anwar Seth

CURRICULUM VITAE FERUZ ANWAR SETH PERSONAL DETAILS Correspondence : 15, Jalan Setia Tropika 5/7, Address Taman Setia Tropika, 81200 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia. Telephone : - - ext 21661 - E-mail Date of Birth :-: 14th April, 1969 (Home) (Office) (Mobile) CURRENT EMPLOYMENT Position : Senior Revenue Counsel (Grade 48) Employer : Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri Malaysia (Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia) – Cyberjaya, Selangor, Malaysia Duration : 15 September 2014 – 31 December 2018 (Contract) Scope of Employment includes: Handling of tax appeals at Special Commissioners of Income Tax, High Court, Court of Appeal and Federal Court.  Drafting pleadings, written submissions and other documents.  Mediation and settlement negotiations.  Submission of settlement proposals to the Director-General of Income Tax.  Coaching and mentoring of junior officers.  File management and general care. Notice Period : 1 month PROFILE I am a lawyer with about 23 years work experience which includes legal practice, working as in-house counsel as well as some lecturing experience. I received my secondary education at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar in Malaysia and went on to read Law at the University of Westminster in the United Kingdom. Upon my graduation in 1992, I became a member of the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn and, upon successfully passing the Bar Final Examination in 1993, was admitted as an Utter Barrister of England & Wales. I was called to the Malaysian Bar as an Advocate & Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1994. Professional Career I am currently employed in-house at Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri Malaysia (LHDNM) as a Senior Revenue Counsel at the Civil Litigation Division of the Legal Department. My main scope of work is to handle hearings relating to tax appeals filed by the taxpayer against assessments issued by the LHDNM as well as judicial review and other matters including applications and appeals from the decisions thereto up to Federal Court level. Prior to my current employment, I worked as a legal practitioner in various firms which allowed me to expand my legal knowledge in areas of civil litigation as well as conveyancing and corporate-commercial matters. During my career as a litigation practitioner, I conducted hearings up to Federal Court level in various areas of law including the following: Debt Recovery (including Civil, Foreclosure and Bankruptcy & Winding-Up cases)  Banking Litigation  Land Matters  Contractual Disputes  Probate & Administration  Quasi-Criminal Matters I have also conducted matters at other forums including the Land Office, Small Estates Office and Industrial Court. My experience also includes handling conveyancing and corporate-commercial matters including the following: Sale & Purchase documentation (Developer and Sub-sale / With and Without Title)  Conventional Loan Documentation  Islamic Financing Documentation  Tenancy Agreements  Trust Deeds  Contractor’s & Sub-Contractor’s Agreement  Joint-Venture Agreements  Miscellaneous Agreements Apart from handling legal cases, I have had experience in conducting presentations, seminars and training both for in-house and external purposes. I was also tasked with mentoring my junior colleagues and was appointed by my firm as Data Protection Officer in line with the Personal Data Protection Act, 2010. Skills I have acquired over the years include the following: Research and opinion writing  Presentations at seminars and meetings  Marketing and client care  Mentoring and people management  Communication and language skills  Problem-solving and trouble-shooting  Ability to work independently, under pressure and manage priorities  IT and technical knowledge My clients have included a number of major financial institutions, corporate entities as well as government bodies and my very first contested matter was reported in the Business Law Journal in 1995. Apart from my current employment with LHDNM I have also had experience as in-house counsel for Johor Corporation in 1999. My scope of work included monitoring of files and cases handled by external solicitors, advising various departments and subsidiary companies, attending meetings and discussions as well as trouble-shooting and risk management. In addition, I have had some experience lecturing part-time for Rima College, Johor Bahru, where I was asked to lecture in the subject of Philosophy for the American Degree Programme. I employ a pro-active, innovative and value-added approach to work where my aim is to serve my client's interests while at the same time upholding my company's values. I continually set out to improve myself through acquisition of new knowledge, experiences and skills and am keen to take on further responsibilities and carry them out to the best of my ability. Personal Development & Social Work I place a large emphasis on personal development and, as such, make it a point to attend seminars and workshops in diverse areas relating to work as well as other subjects. I have a passion for legal aid and, before I joined LHDNM, I was a lawyer for Yayasan Bantuan Guaman Kebangsaan (National Legal Aid Foundation). I also served on the Johor Bar’s Legal Aid Sub-Committee for a number of years. Apart from Legal Aid, I also served on various Johor Bar sub-committees such as the Publication, Continuing Legal Education, Young Lawyers and Social & Charity Sub-Committees as well as a stint as a member of the Main Committee. In addition, I have represented the Johor Bar at a number of events including the International Legal Aid Conference 2006, the 4th China-Asean Law Forum 2011 as well as several National Legal Aid Conferences. In 2005 I was appointed to sit on the Investigating Tribunal and, soon thereafter, the Disciplinary Committee Panel of the Advocates & Solicitors Disciplinary Board which hears complaints made against lawyers and makes recommendations on whether to proceed with further action. I was also listed as a mentor in The Malaysian Bar’s Register of Mentors. QUALIFICATIONS 1) LL.B. (Hons) 1992 University of Westminster, United Kingdom 2) Bar Final Examinations 1993 University of Westminster, United Kingdom The Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn, United Kingdom ADMISSIONS 1) Utter Barrister of England & Wales 2) Advocate & Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya 29th July, 1993 12th September, 1994 PREVIOUS WORK EXPERIENCE (In reverse chronological order- Employer : Position : Specialisation : Abdul Raman Saad & Associates – Johor Bahru, Johor Legal Assistant – Litigation Lawyer Legal Firm I was invited to join the firm as a senior. I conducted matters at the Magistrates Court up till the Federal Court. I also handled arbitration and mediation matters. Areas of law included banking, contract, land, tort, quasi-criminal, probate, small estates and divorce. Apart from handling files, I also conducted presentations and seminars (including for clients and outside parties) as part of the firm’s marketing strategy. I was also tasked with mentoring junior lawyers and was appointed as Data Protection Officer under the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) for the firm. - Employer : Position : Specialisation : Feruz Anwar Seth – Johor Bahru, Johor Sole Proprietor – Litigation and Conveyancing Lawyer Legal Firm During that period I had the valuable experience of starting my own practice. I handled both litigation and conveyancing work plus some corporate-commercial matters. I closed down my practice as I was invited by Messrs. Abdul Raman Saad & Associates to join their practice- Employer : Position : Specialisation : Abd Gani Che Man & Co. – Johor Bahru, Johor Legal Assistant – Head of Conveyancing Department Legal Firm I was in charge of the conveyancing and corporate-commercial department of the Johor Bahru branch. I handled mainly developer and sub-sale matters, banking documentation, trust deeds and other related matters. I also marketed the firm’s services to clients- Employer : Position : Specialisation : Faizul Hilmy & Chew – Johor Bahru, Johor Partner – Head of Litigation Department Legal Firm I joined the firm as a litigation partner. I handled mainly banking matters such as foreclosure, debt collection and bankruptcy. I also handled contract, tort, land and developer matters. During the absence of the conveyancing lawyer for more than 1 year I was also handling the firm’s conveyancing matters including sale and purchase, loan, tenancy, sub-sale and other related matters. I also did marketing for the firm- Employer Position : : Specialisation : Mariam & Co. – Johor Bahru, Johor Legal Assistant – Head of Litigation Department and thereafter Head of Conveyancing & Corporate – Commercial Department Legal Firm Initially, I was employed as a legal assistant. I mainly handled banking and developer matters plus other matters such as tenancy, probate and general litigation. After a few months at the firm, I was put in charge of the Litigation Department. Eventually, I was moved to and tasked with heading the Conveyancing Department. I handled mainly developer and sub-sale matters as well as other more complex conveyancing matters as well as drafting documents such as trust deeds, wills and tenancy. I also assisted the partners with corporatecommercial matters, including drafting of documents. I was also tasked with marketing the firm’s services, a skill which I find valuable to this day- Employer : Position : Specialisation : Zaid Ibrahim & Co. – Johor Bahru, Johor Legal Assistant – Litigation Lawyer Legal Firm I was invited to join the firm as a litigation lawyer. Areas of practice included banking, contract, tort, land, probate and other matters. 2000 Employer : Position : Specialisation : Rima College – Johor Bahru, Johor Lecturer (Part-time Evening) – Philosophy College During my time at Zaid Ibrahim & Co. I lectured part-time in the subject of Philosophy at Rima College. 1999 Employer : Position : Specialisation : Johor Corporation – Johor Bahru, Johor Executive (Legal) Corporation During my time at Johor Corporation, I managed the corporation's litigation files. My tasks included liaising with their external lawyers, file management, attending meetings and conducting presentations. I was also involved with discussions on trouble-shooting and problem-solving- In the United Kingdom During this time I took some time off from practice to live and work in the United Kingdom due to some family matters- Employer : Position : Specialisation : Abu Talib Shahrom & Zahari – Johor Bahru, Johor Legal Assistant – Litigation Lawyer Legal Firm I worked at the firm as a litigation lawyer. Areas of practice included banking, contract, tenancy, tort, probate and other matters. 1996 Employer : Position : Specialisation : Brockett & Cho – Permas Jaya, Johor Legal Assistant – Conveyancing Lawyer Legal Firm After some years of doing purely litigation matters, I felt that I should expand my knowledge of practice to include conveyancing work and decided to leave my firm to seek a position as a conveyancing lawyer. My position at the firm was as a junior but I was more or less left in charge of handling the branch’s developer work which included sale and purchase as well as loan documentation. I also handled sub-sale matters as well as other miscellaneous conveyancing matters such as trust deeds, caveats and state approval. I also attended launchings and signings for the firm- Employer : Position : Specialisation : Ali Zaitun & Sallehrahman Tendot – Johor Bahru, Johor Legal Assistant – Head of Litigation Department Legal Firm Fresh from my admission to the Bar, I started off as a junior litigation lawyer at the firm. After some time, I was asked to head the Litigation Department. I handled mainly banking litigation as well as other areas of law like contract, land, tort and probate. My very first contested matter was reported in Business Law Journal in 1995. I also had my first taste of legal aid by handling a criminal case. I was informed by the partners that, during my tenure, I had managed to turn the department into making a profit as opposed to being a department which merely complimented the firm’s Conveyancing and Corporate-commercial Departments- Employer : Position : Specialisation : L.M. Ong & Co. – Johor Bahru, Johor Chambering Pupil Legal Firm During this time I undertook the period of pupillage required to be admitted as an Advocate & Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya. IT SKILLS 1) Microsoft Office 2) Internet 3) Lexis-Nexis, CLJ Online and other Search Engines LANGUAGE SKILLS 1) Malay 2) English 3) Spanish 4) Japanese Native / Bilingual proficiency Native / Bilingual proficiency Elementary proficiency Elementary proficiency ACTIVITIES & INTERESTS (Highlights) School  Sub-Editor - “Eureka”, a creative writing English language magazine  Member - Military Band  Member - Japanese Society  Member - English Literary & Debating Society  Member - Aeronautical Society  Member - Drama Society  Member - Class Committee  Under-15 Basketball Team (School)  Cross-Country (House)  Track & Field (House) A-Level College and University  Member - Special Committee (Rules & Regulations - Elections of the Student Union)  Member - Drama Club  Dormitory Leader  Finalist - University Client Counselling Competition Post-Academic  Member - Main committee of the Johor Bar  Chairman - Young Lawyers’ Sub-Committee  Member - Various sub-committees of the Johor Bar  Member - Advocates & Solicitors Disciplinary Board’s Investigating Tribunal  Member - Advocates & Solicitors Disciplinary Board's Disciplinary Committee Panel  Lawyer - Yayasan Bantuan Guaman Kebangsaan  Mentor - Malaysian Bar Register of Mentors  President of Social Development Bureau - Parent-Teacher Association, SK IJ Convent  Vice-Chairman - Residents Committee, Dictyo Alba (Precinct 5) Taman Setia Tropika  Editor - Berita MCOBA (Alumni Newsletter) Interests  Writing (factual and creative) and developing concepts  Collecting music CDs  Watching vintage films and television series  Mentoring and sharing experiences with young people  Dabbling in cookery ACHIEVEMENTS (Highlights)  1986 - Established “Eureka”, a creative writing English language magazine.  1987 - Produced and acted in “King Chicken”, a stage play performed for the students of the Intensive English Course.  1987 - Produced “Class”, a collection of English language short stories.  1989 - Acted in a production of “Much Ado About Nothing” for performance during the intermission of Drama Competition.  1995 - Managed to turn the Litigation Department of Messrs. Ali Zaitun & Sallehrahman Tendot from a department complimenting and supported by the Conveyancing and Corporate-Commercial Departments into a viable profit-making department.  1995 - First contested case was reported in the Business Law Journal  2006 - Attended the International Legal Aid conference for the Johor Bar  2011 - Attended the 4th China-Asean Law Forum for the Johor Bar  Organised several Legal Aid Clinics for the public  Organised several Annual Dinners and other functions for the Johor Bar REFEREES 1. Ms. Haniza binti Ahmad Position : Senior Partner 2. Dato’ AR. Hj. Zulkarnain bin Hj. Harun Position : Director Haniza Ahmad & Co Advocates & Solicitors Suite 6.09, Level 6, Menara TJB, No. 9, Jalan Syed Mohd Mufti, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia. Era 3 Architects Sdn Bhd 4K, Jalan Masjid Negeri, 11600 Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. Tel Tel Fax Mobile E-mail : - - : - : - :- Fax Mobile E-mail : - - - : - : - :--