Law, Practice and Procedure of Arbitration (Second Edition), by Sundra Rajoo

Abstract

Arbitration in Malaysia has come a long way since the first edition of Law, Practiceand Procedure was published in 2003. Malaysia completely overhauled its arbitration legislation by enacting the Arbitration Act 2005 (the ‘Act’), based on the UNCITRAL Model Law 1985 and New Zealand’s Arbitration Act 1996. The Act was comprehensively amended again in 2011. In addition, the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration (the ‘KLRCA’) has revised its rules several times, most recently in October 2013, to modernize its procedures in accordance with international standards and best practices. Among other developments and innovations, the KLRCA launched its expedited ‘Fast Track Rules’ in 2010, introduced a special set of Shariah-compliant arbitration rules (the ‘i-Arbitration Rules’) in 2012, and moved into its spacious new offices with state-of-the-art hearing rooms in the renovated art deco heritage Sulaiman Building in 2014. As a result of these developments, as well as the relatively low cost of conducting arbitrations in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur has become an increasingly important centre for international arbitration in the Asia-Pacific region. Against this backdrop, the arrival of the Second Edition of Sundra Rajoo’s magnum opus on arbitration in Malaysia is most welcome and timely. It is not merely an update; the book has evolved as much as Malaysia, and can be viewed in many regards as an entirely new work.