Shark! Shark!

10 million! With which my Audit paper lecturer's prophecy comes true. It is only a matter of time and of course, how much. According to the former president of the Law Society of Singapore, Mr. Peter Low, who sniggered while recounting, the amount is the highest record ever locally, beating the most recent embezzlement of $1.7 million by about 5 times. The manner he said it almost befits a gangster boss more than a lawyer, I thought, as if he was just waiting for this day thinking: "I tell you so, I tell you so" Meanwhile, we have a solemn-looking, sulky Mr. Philip Jeyaratnam, the current president, who expressed the seriousness as going straight to the heart of the profession. I hate to think that there is some enmity between the two - power struggle maybe. But that is another story.

Going by my lecturer's words, there is a threshold for everyone, where moral obligations extinguish facing the dough and the possibility of running off with it all to some exotic place for cosmetic surgery looking like Brat Pitt, mistress in arm. He thought that while there is always the temptation, the local lawyers had not degenerated to "Sharks" (that is what lawyers are often called in US), where in hospitals, more of them will be queuing to see you than relatives, offering to fight for higher damages in court - with a lucrative cut of course.

The CNA reporter also suggested having a third party, like the Academy of Law, to safeguard the client's money. That is, I thought, about the lamest comment, considering the academy would also consist of people who had taken the oath; what made her think that they wouldn't steal. Or maybe she already has the mentality that being a statutory body, they would be incorruptible and as clean as the white of Pay-And-Pay. Even my office had its fair share of fraud and forgery. Of course, the amount was not large enough for any havoc, so everything was much conveniently swept under the carpet.

Maybe what we are witnessing now is a piece of legal history in Singapore where the slide to decadence all begins. But then, I wouldn't be too delirious relating it to my children or grandchildren.