Lawyer "Buruk"

This is a story about the lawyer which we engaged to process the sale of our condo.


Our property agent says that if we used the same lawyer as the Buyer, then the cost will be cheaper. Smarty-pants us, thinking that it might be risky to have the same lawyer, decided to spend more money by engaging another lawyer, in case of any dispute. Unfortunately in this case, if there are any disputes, it will be with our own lawyer.


Mr Ong was introduced to us through my in-laws. So, trusting that he was a friend, therefore, should be reliable and moreover is a Church member. Of course! Why not? Help a Christian in his business, we get some discounts... a win-win situation.


Actually, all those information were irrelevant. I could have picked up the yellow pages and point to any law firm and it would have been a better choice....


Let me explain.


When we started engaging this lawyer, we were still in Bangkok, Thailand. I personally called, sent him various SMS and even emailed to him. He replied my initial SMS and subsequently he was communicating via my FIL, whenever they meet in church once-a-week. Then after that, my FIL will skype hubby to pass on the information. This went on for awhile till we decided it's not a good way to communicate. Everybody knows that when you pass information, especially legal ones, through a middle person... it gets watered down. Many times we didn't understand what was required. So, we decided to SMS to Mr Ong to ask him to speak to us directly rather than through FIL.


Hell broke loose.


Don't ask me what happened.


I don't know.


He refuse to reply my SMS.


He refuse to pick up my call.


When FIL called him on our behalf to check if the mobile number was correct, Mr Ong seemed to be furious and said that he DOESN'T WANT TO SPEAK TO US. He will only communicate via FIL.


I was wondering what weather in Malaysia hit him. Tsunami? Menopause?


I received 8% from my Buyer's lawyers but when I checked my bank account, the amount did not tally. I contacted both my agent and Buyer. Somehow, there has been RM2,000 missing!!!!


I panicked.


Guess what? Mr Ong, the professional lawyer who has studied law, knows the law and practices law has done a law-less act. What is the difference between a snatch thief who roams the street and Mr Ong who "snatch" monies without permission from clients, like me? He did an ILLEGAL, UNBELIEVABLE and UNACCEPTABLE thing. He just "took". There was no invoice. No request. No one knew about it. It was confirmed through my FIL. Which he discovered after contacting Mr Ong.


I was really upset.


What is wrong with this fella? How can such a professional profession become so... !!! *speechless*


All kinds of thoughts went through my mind... report him to the police... lawyers are not above the law... he should suffer some kind of consequences for his actions .... such incompetencies should not rule.... we should not allow thugs-wearing-ties-pretending-to-practice-law continue to roam the judiciary system we have too many already ....


There were other countless things which he did that caused us unnecessary expenditure, stress and frustration. Remember, Hubby was also retrenched at that period of time?


Did we really need all this extra stress????!!!!!


No!!!!!!!!!


If he just did his job, would it have helped us?


Yes!!!!!!!


Is this rocket science?



Processing of House Sales should be so standard, right?


Just about 1 month before leaving Bangkok to return to Malaysia, I decided to send Mr Ong a long SMS. It was worded like this...


"Mr Ong, I don't know what I did which caused you grievances. But if I did anything wrong, please forgive me. We are all Christians and that is our foundational faith, to forgive. That is the commands of Christ. If we Christians cannot get along with each other, how does non-Christians see the light of Christ in our life?..."


Did I do something wrong which needed his forgiveness? I personally think no. I am paying him to do a job (in this case, he "paid" himself first before doing the job) and he is doing an extremely lousy job. But what I want to do is to show him that God's ways are different. We do not revenge because God is our Avenger. The bible clearly teaches us to "turn the other cheek", forgive one another, love each other so that the world know that we are children of God, help those who are weaker than us, be gracious, merciful and kind, humility is a character of Christ, etc. We don't get offended and make others suffer just because we have insecurities unknown to other human beings.


And...


Maybe. Just maybe.


He will be convicted by God to change his character and produce some fruits of the Holy Spirit which is love, peace, joy, faithfulness, gentleness, patience, self control, kindness and goodness (Galations 5:22-23)


Did he rise to the occasion?


I don't know.


Till today my FIL is still the messenger.