KUALA LUMPUR: A DAP lawyer has landed himself in a spot over reports that he has been penalised by the Bar Council.  

Keshvinder Singh, (pic) who is contesting for the Malim Nawar state seat in Kampar, Perak, was fined RM10,000 by the Malaysian Bar disciplinary board over a land tenancy agreement. 

Checks with the Bar’s website www.malaysian-bar.org.my showed that Keshvinder Singh was fined on Nov 17 under Section 103D of the Legal Professions Act 1976. 

Further checks on the site showed that he also had not renewed his practising certificate by March 8, 2006. 

Keshvinder Singh, 36, who is facing Barisan Nasional’s Chai Song Poh, blamed his legal clerk over the fine. 

“My clerk is paying for the fine now and it was a mistake made by her,” he said yesterday. 

Keshvinder Singh claimed he was fined in 2007 over the tenancy agreement which was prepared without his knowledge. 

“My clerk prepared the documents without my knowledge, stamped and signed them on my behalf,” he said. 

According to the Malaysian Bar website, Keshvinder Singh, who carries the membership number of K505, was fined RM10,000 pursuant to disciplinary orders made from October to December 2007. 

The fine was the heaviest imposed on those listed.  

Keshvinder Singh said his clients complained about the matter to the Malaysian Bar which resulted in him being fined. 

He said the tenancy agreement had to do with a piece of oil palm land which was planted with oil palm trees and the beneficiaries of the land wanted to stop renting the land. 

“After I came to know of the complaint, I cancelled the agreement after a month. There was no monetary loss,” he added. 

 -THE STAR-