The Head of the Dispute Resolution Practice Group and in active practice since 1991, Sai Yeang has appeared before judges at every level of the Malaysian judicial system, specialising commercial litigation with particular emphasis on finance, banking, property, receivership and insolvency. She counts most of the major banks in Malaysia as her clients. With a reliable support team, Sai Yeang has a prodigious workload of corporate litigation briefs relating to matters such as shareholder disputes, boardroom tussles and schemes of arrangement, in addition to civil actions for the recovery of banking debts arising from conventional banking facilities as well as Islamic banking products such as Al Bai’ Bithaman Ajil, Al Ijarah, Kafalah, Wakalah, Murabahah and Musyarakah facilities. 

Recently, Sai Yeang successfully represented a tax-payer in proceedings against the Inland Revenue Board (“IRB”), securing a decision in the High Court to the effect that real property gains tax, being a federal tax, ought to rank statutorily as 6th on the list of priorities under Section 527 of the Companies Act 2016, and that her client, being a debenture-holder as a secured creditor, has priority over the IRB. The Court of Appeal subsequently affirmed the decision.

In 2023, after a series of hearings, Sai Yeang obtained a decision in the Federal Court that clarified that a single Notice of Appeal to the Court of Appeal may be filed in respect of multiple Orders obtained in the High Court. There had been 2 other prior Federal Court decisions in other cases that had seemed contrary. This latest decision has provided clarification as, before this, there was uncertainty as to how to rationalize the conflicting Federal Court decisions.

Despite her heavy caseload, Sai Yeang finds the time to serve the Malaysian Bar – as a long-standing member of the Bar Council’s Islamic Finance Committee as well as a member of the Civil Law Committee and of the Kuala Lumpur Bar’s Civil Practice and Court Liaison Committee. She also shares her expansive court-room experience by being a Trainer in the Bar Council’s Advocacy Training courses.

Sai Yeang has been ranked as a “Distinguished Practitioner” by asialaw in its 2024 publication.

Chambers Asia Pacific has recognised Sai Yeang as a leading dispute resolution practitioner since 2020. 

TERTIARY QUALIFICATION

• Bachelor of Social Science (Law & Sociology) (University of Keele)

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

• Barrister-at-Law (called by the Honourable Society of Inner Temple)
• Called to the Bar of England and Wales: 1990
• Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya
• Admitted to the Malaysian Bar: 14th June 1991
• Member of the Disciplinary Committee Panel appointed by the Advocates and Solicitors’ Disciplinary Board under the Legal Profession Act 1976
• Member of the Malaysian Bar Council Islamic Finance Committee
• Member of the Malaysian Bar Council Civil Law Committee
• Member of the Kuala Lumpur Bar Civil Practice and Court Liaison Committee