The 7
th ASLI Conference was held successfully at the International Islamic University Malaysia on 25 and 26 May 2010. It was attended by 220 participants from 28 different countries and 177 papers were presented in panel and poster sessions. The Conference theme was "
Law in a Pluralist Asia: Challenges and Prospects". This year there were seven parallel sessions held over five consecutive periods. The panels were divided according to subthemes, as follows: Session A (Criminal Law and Legal Pluralism), Session B (International Law and International Business Law), Session C (Intellectual Property and Information Technology), Session D (Family, Children and Law & Society), Session E (Human Rights and Constitutional Law), Session F (Corporate Law & Governance, and ASEAN and FTAs). The seventh session was used as a Young Scholars’ Workshop for PhD students and recent academic appointees.
The Poster Session, which was an innovation at this conference, proved to be an interesting experiment and one which will be continued at the 8
th ASLI conference. The quality of the papers and general discussions were testament to the growing strength of the ASLI conference and the depth of research on Asian law and related matters.
Participants at the conference were also treated to three highly engaging and thought provoking speeches by specially invited guests. The conference was opened by the Honourable Judge of the Federal Court of Malaysia Dato’ Seri Mohd. Rauf Bin Sharif who presented a thoughtful provoking lecture on "Legal Pluralism and the Practice of the Malaysian Courts". The key issues of the lecture were based on a court case presided over by the Honourable Judge himself when he was in the High Court. The conference dinner was graced by the presence of Senator Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, Minister for Women, Family and Community Development of Malaysia who gave a passionate talk on the "Family Law and the Development of Women’s Rights in Malaysia." At the end of the conference, a Distinguished Lecture was presented by Professor Chandran Kukathas, Chair in Political Theory at the London School of Economics, the United Kingdom, who spoke on a highly topical issue, "Multiculturalism and Democracy." The lecture highlighted the importance of recognizing and respecting multiculturalism, and argued that the coexistence of democracy and multiculturalism was not an unattainable goal, but one which required a nuanced and sensitive balancing of interests.
In addition to intellectual discourses and discussions, the organisers at the International Islamic University Malaysia had also put together a highly enjoyable social programme, including the conference dinner at Seri Melayu Restaurant, showcasing the pride of Malay Cultural heritage with authentic Malay Cuisine and traditional music and dances. A dinner on the second day at the Seri Angkasa Revolving Restaurant, located at the top of the 282 metre-high KL Tower, gave participants an opportunity to enjoy the breath-taking night view of Kuala Lumpur and the world famous Twin Towers, with the panoramic sky line background of the Klang Valley.
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