NSW LPAB Executive Officer Siew Ting Tan McKeogh failed to disclose resignation and sudden departure of NSW Department Of Justice & LPAB officer Hayley Pollock, author of the document investigated by The Australian

by Ganesh Sahathevan 

R-L: Susan (Bastick) Carter Director, Law Extension Committee (LEC) at University of Sydney with Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AO QC Governor of New South Wales and Siew McKeogh, Executive Officer of the LPAB. The LPAB oversees the LEC's Diploma in Law as it does the College Of Law. These associations have resulted in a wagon fort like protection of one another, to the point where statutory reporting obligations are being ignored, to the detriment of students and the legal profession in NSW.

As previously reported: 

Siew Ting Tan McKeogh, former NSW LPAB Executive Officer who oversaw the questionable re-accreditation of Zhu Minshen's license to grant law degrees was also responsible for failing to disclose The Australian investigation and story about misconduct at the NSW LPAB

It has also been discovered that while the document central to The Australian's  investigation was prepared under the direction of the then NSW LPAB Executive Officer Louise Pritchard, the author of the document was one Hayley Pollock. Pollock was then a  Graduate Policy and Project Officer at the NSW Department Of Justice. 

The discovery of Ms Pollock's authorship was discovered by an investigation of the PDF document 's metadata.

The document was issued in August 2018, which coincided with Ms Pollock's departure from the NSW Department Of Justice. Given The Australian's investigation Ms Pollock's departure ought to have been disclosed with explanation as an operational matter, by the NSW LPAB Executive Officer responsible for the 2018-2019 Annual Report. It was not. 

END 

To Be Read With 

Hayley Pollock

 (She/Her)  3rd degree connection3rd

Paediatric Registered Nurse | 2023 ACN Emerging Nurse Leader

 

Singtel-Optus political donations in Australia may have breached Singapore's corruption prevention laws - donations (which may be in breach of Australia's ban on foreign donations ) coincided with the award of a lucrative government contract

 by Ganesh Sahathevan 

      

                                         The agency is Services NSW, which was under the purview of Berejiklian ally
Victor Dominello

 The Prevention Of Corruption Act  1960 has extra-territorial powers to deal with corrupt acts committed by a Singapore citizen outside Singapore as though these were committed in Singapore.

Singapore incorporated companies, like Singtel,  come within the definition of persons to whom the Act applies. Wholly-owned subsidiaries like Optus are likely to be considered part of the Singapore incorporated entity, given the degree of control exerted over the subsidiary. 

In August 2022 The Australian reported that Optus had won a three-year contract to manage the inbound services business for Service NSW. The Minister in charge of that agency was Victor Dominello,  a close ally of former premier turned Optus  director Gladys Berejiklian. Berejiklian's appointment to Optus is controversial, given that she was appointed after she had  resigned as premier due to a corruption investigation. 

The awarding of government contracts between entities where political allies have influence is in itself suspicious, but making matters worse in this case is the recent revelation by The Klaxon  that Optus has made some AUD 70,000 in illegal political donations, 90% of which after Berejiklian's appointment. The illegality arises from the fact that Australia bans political donations from foreign entities.

There is a coincidence between the donations (which are likely illegal) and the award of that (already suspicious) contract which the Singapore authorities must investigate, pursuant to their corruption prevention laws, given what appears to be a breach of their laws. The fact that this  case involves government owned entities and political personalties should not stand in the way of the Singapore Government's commitment to prevent corruption.

END

Siew Ting Tan McKeogh, former NSW LPAB Executive Officer who oversaw the questionable re-accreditation of Zhu Minshen's license to grant law degrees was also responsible for failing to disclose The Australian investigation and story about misconduct at the NSW LPAB

 by Ganesh Sahathevan 

R-L: Susan (Bastick) Carter Director, Law Extension Committee (LEC) at University of Sydney with Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AO QC Governor of New South Wales and Siew McKeogh, Executive Officer of the LPAB. The LPAB oversees the LEC's Diploma in Law as it does the College Of Law. These associations have resulted in a wagon fort like protection of one another, to the point where statutory reporting obligations are being ignored, to the detriment of students and the legal profession in NSW.

As previously reported by this writer:

The NSW Annual Reports (Statutory Bodies) Regulations requires that agencies include information about the extent and main features of consumer complaints in their Annual reporting.  Page 19 of the NSW LPAB’s 2017-2018 Annual Report includes a section titled “Consumer response” on page 19. This section mentions seven items of feedback, three of which were complaints but  none refer to the NSW LPAB's response to  complaints made to it against the College Of Law Ltd and its conduct of the PLT course. The NSW LPAB has ongoing duties to oversee and accredit the College Of Law's PLT course. The College relies on the NSW LPAB for its AUD 50 Million per annum FEE HELP financed revenue.

The complaints were raised by this writer in the 2017-2018 financial year. The issue spilled over into the 2018-2019 financial year, and became subject of an investigation by The Australian, which reported the issue on 17 January 2019.

That investigation and the story in The Australian have also been excluded from the NSW Department Of Justice and NSW LPAB annual reports. The story in The Australian includes reference to the NSW LPAB's response to issues concerning the College Of Law.

The LPAB Executive Officer  who signed-off on operational matters for the year ending June 30 2019 was Siew Ting Tan McKeogh, who took over from Louise  Pritchard  , and who herself left the position under circumstances that have never been explained.   Tan Mckeogh remains a solicitor at the NSW LPAB.

Sunday, November 13, 2022

Siew Ting Tan McKeogh, former NSW LPAB Executive Officer who oversaw the review of Zhu Minshen & Top Group's license to grant LB degree remains a solicitor at the NSW LPAB

 by Ganesh Sahathevan 

The latest extract from the NSW Law Society website.

It is highly intriguing that Ms Tan McKeogh remains e solicitor at the NSW LPAB, despite her role in the Zhu Minshen-Top Group affair. 

Siew Ting Tan McKeogh

Date of NSW Admission	09/10/1998
Practising Certificate Type	Principal of a law practice
Principal Place of Practice	Legal Profession Admission Board
Class	Government
Address	LEVEL 4, 37 BLIGH STREET SYDNEY NSW 2000
Postal Address	GPO BOX 3980 SYDNEY NSW 2001
Firm Phone	02 9338 3500
Firm Fax	02 9338 3555
Region	CITY OF SYDNEY
Languages other than English spoken in the firm	CHINESE MALAY

TO BE READ WITH 

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Siew Ting Tan McKeogh, NSW LPAB Executive Officer who oversaw the review of Zhu Minshen & Top Group's license to grant LB degrees was replaced soon after renewal of that license: NSW LPAB Chair Tom Bathurst maintains silence despite controversy surrounding Zhu and Top

by Ganesh Sahathevan


As Chief Justice Tom Bathurst has been intent on pursuing a social 
and political agenda. In doing so he has walked into a matter

of national security.In doing so he seems to have neglected his actual duties. 


Siew Ting Tan McKeogh, the NSW LPAB Executive Officer who oversaw  the review  of Zhu Minshen and  Top Group's license to grant LB degrees,  has been replaced after just eight or so months on the job. 

 She was replaced soon after the  review was successfully completed, and signed off on 29 June 2019, just one day before the end of  the financial year. That fortuitous timing allowed Zhu to report in his year end financial reports that his review "went smoothly" .  

The timing also saved the  NSW LPAB from having to report any delay , exception or qualification to that review. The NSW LPAB were able to do so despite the adverse media reports against Zhu and Top Group. 


The Chairman of the NSW LPAB , Chief Justice Tom Bathurst, has maintained his silence despite the controversy surrounding Zhu. 


TO BE READ WITH


Friday, September 27, 2019

Zhu Minshen announces that NSW LPAB review "went smoothly": AG NSW Mark Speakman and officers unconcerned by Clive Hamilton's disclosures of threats, intimidation and defiance of AFP directives ,share price collapse

by Ganesh Sahathevan

The LPAB''s tick of approval does not seem to have reversed the downward trend in share price.Indeed it does look as if the LPAB has ignored all together the fact that Top's market capitalisation has collapsed since listing. Note that Top's shareprice has fallen 14.29% over the past month,compared to 1.13% for the overall market as measured by the Hang Seng Index

In the words of Zhu Minshen, chairman and CEO of his Top Education Group Ltd:



Bachelor of Law Re-accreditation 

The scheduled re-accreditation process of our Bachelor of Laws (‘‘LLB’’) went smoothly. On 27 June 2019, TOP received formal notification from the Legal Profession Admission Board of New South Wales (‘‘LPAB’’) to accredit TOP’s LLB for a further five-year period commencing from the notification date.
(TOP EDUCATION GROUP LTD
ANNOUNCEMENT OF ANNUAL RESULTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2019)




All this despite the revelations of open defiance of an AFP directive, threats and intimidation disclosed in Clive Hamilton's "Silent Invasion",which have been previously reported on this blog:

In his 2018 book "Silent Invasion" Professor Clive Hamilton reports that Top Education Group's Zhu Minshen organised  students , including students from his Top Education Institute to protest  against Tibetans at the  2008 rally , which counted towards the Top students’ assessment.  Zhu’s Top Institution is “perhaps the only accredited degree program in Australia that counts agitating for a foreign power towards its qualifications.”


Hamilton provides details of Zhu's Communist Party China antecedents and his organisation of the 30,000 strong demonstration by Chinese students at the Canberra torch relay, many of them brandishing Chinese flags.

This was clearly an open challenge to the authority , and in public defiance  of, the AFP's directive to Chinese government security that they were not to be involved in the torch relay. As Hamilton puts is "ASIO shat themselves".

Despite this open defiance of the law that they are meant to defend and uphold the Attorney General NSW Mark Speakman and the other senior judicial officers at the LPAB determined that an exception should  be made to allow Zhu to operate the "first and only" law school in Australia that is not part of a university.

END 

See Also 

Law Council Australia 's exception for Zhu Minshen despite Law Council declaring China's justice system "a joke"

"The fishy smell around Zhu Minshen's Top Education Institute": Clive Hamilton's "Silent Invasion" raises questions for NSW AG Mark Speakman & the LPAB

Posted by Ganesh Sahathevan at 5:37 AM 

Existence of "College of Law Asia" remains a mystery - "College Of Law Asia" ceased operations in Malaysia suddenly and without explanation in 2019; College has entered into new JV with FMM Institute, under the patronage of Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia, Justin Lee, but not reflected anywhere in parent company College Of Law's books

by Ganesh Sahathevan 

As reported previously: 

Australia's College Of Law attempts to re-enter Malaysian market, this time with the assistance of FMM - meanwhile closure of office in Malaysia remains unexplained, false claims about contribution to Malaysian legal practise persist

The College's claims with regards its  recent entry into Malaysia, via the FMM Institute include: 

“Since the inception of the College of Law Asia in 2016, the College has provided countless international training programs working with international law associations, local bar associations, global law firms, universities, government and legal professionals,” Angie Zandstra, Chief Commercial Officer at the College of Law, says.

However , as New Malaysia Times noted in 2019, information about the incorporation of "College Of Law Asia" could not be found in Australia, nor in Malaysia. 

In fact, "College Of Law Asia" is still not reflected in the College Of Law's financial statements. This excerpt from the financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2022 demonstrates  the issue:

The College's latest entry into Malaysia appears to be under the patronage of Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia, Justin Lee, who has led initiatives between Australian training organisations and the  the FMM Institute. Lee seems to be unconcerned by the College's conduct in Malaysia. 
END 

See Also 

Australia partners with FMM Institute to upskill Malaysian food manufacturers





NATION


Thursday, 02 Jun 20223:05 PM MYT


The Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia is Dr Justin Lee.


KUALA LUMPUR: Fifty supervisors and quality control professionals from the Malaysian food manufacturing sector had recently joined an upskilling programme coordinated by one of Australia’s leading education and training providers, Tafe NSW.

Organised by the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) Institute and the Australian Trade & Investment Commission (Austrade), the two-month Australian Food Manufacturers Programme featured specific modules with practical guides and both organisational and management approaches to issues faced by the food processing and manufacturing industries, including food safety and implementing innovation in the manufacturing process.


Speakers were from Australia’s dairy and almond industries and prominent Malaysian food manufacturers, according to a statement from the Australian High Commission here.

Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia Dr Justin Lee (pic), at the graduation ceremony held at the High Commission, said such cooperation between both countries in building and developing Malaysia’s food manufacturing and processing industries is of benefit to both countries.


"Australia can supply premium ingredients and inputs. Malaysia’s industry can transform them into consumer-ready products.

"To do this, we need a focus on skills. This training has done just that," he said.

Austrade’s Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner Paul Sanda said the training provided Australia and Malaysia with a unique opportunity to learn from each other and develop their complementary strengths in the food manufacturing and processing industries.

STARPICKS
SOCIAL PROTECTION FOR THE SELF-EMPLOYED

Meanwhile, FMM Institute General Manager Dr Shanmuga Vivekananda said the training programmes provided an opportunity for FMM member companies to enhance their employee technical know-how from Tafe NSW.

"It will also pave way for FMM Institute to work closely with Australian training organisations to offer reputable and accredited courses from Australia.

"This being not only for reskilling or upskilling but towards career progression and leadership capability in manufacturing," he added.

Manufacturing is the second-largest business sector in Malaysia, with the food-processing sector accounting for 10% of Malaysia’s manufacturing output.

According to the statement, Australia is Malaysia’s number one supplier of wheat.

In 2021, Malaysia had imported around RM1.2bil worth of high quality and customised wheat varieties for value-added processing and export to other key international markets. - Bernama

Former Apostolic Nuncio to Australia , the Filipino Bishop Adolfo Tito Yllana likely to have the answers as to why EUR 700K was sent to him while in Australia,by disgraced Cardinal Becciu , quite likely via diplomatic pouch, "for restoration of a gate"

 by Ganesh Sahathevan

                                                                         

                         Pope Francis recalled and met with Nuncio Yllana on or around 9 October 2020    

Gaudiam Press reported on October 7 2020: 

According to some Italian newspapers, (700,00 EUR)  was sent to Australia by Cardinal Angelo Becciu, as part of a plot against Cardinal Pell to get him sentenced on sexual abuse charges. Ultimately, the charges proved to be false. The money was allegedly sent to the nunciature in Canberra.

...... the Pope met with the Apostolic Nuncio to Australia, the Philippine Bishop Adolfo Tito Yllana. According to Vatican sources the Pope inquired about alleged 700,000 euros reports. The Holy See did not confirm what was discussed at that meeting.

The renowned journalist Edward Pentin affirmed today, in the National Catholic Register, that Archbishop Yllana and Cardinal Becciu are long-time friends. They joined the diplomatic service of the Holy See with a few months of difference, back in 1984.

, “an anonymous Vatican source with detailed knowledge of the matter” assured Pentin that ” the funds transferred were off the books [of accounting] and therefore there was no obligation to report them. They were apparently sent to the apostolic nunciature for “works to be done,” which involved the “restoration of a gate”. And because of this, the nunciature should have the reports on the use of that money.

There cannot be "no obligation to report" any  transfer of funds within any organisation, but it is probable that the transfers were sent under cover of  diplomatic pouch in order to avoid reporting requirements in Australia, and quite likely the Vatican and Italy. 

Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana  is likely to be only person with knowledge of the disbursement of the funds. He should  come forward and provide the details to all relevant authorities. 

END

Australia's College Of Law attempts to re-enter Malaysian market, this time with the assistance of FMM - meanwhile closure of office in Malaysia remains unexplained, false claims about contribution to Malaysian legal practise persist

 by Ganesh Sahathevan 

The following is from The College Of Law website:

In conjunction with the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), the College has created a tailored ESG training program for the Federation of Malaysia Manufacturing Institute (FMM Institute). 

The College and FMMI will sign an MOU early April 2023 to formalise the relationship between the two organisations to explore, plan and execute activities in relation to skills training and talent development for the current and future workforce in Malaysia. A large part of the skills training will incorporate ESG topics that relate to the Malaysian manufacturing sector.

Meanwhile, the College continues to  make false claims about its work in Malaysia, and  remains silent about its sudden departure from Malaysia in 2019.

END 

To Be Read WIth

Bar Council education ‘JV’ must be clarified

By Editor , in Scandal on July 19, 2019 . Tagged width: College of Law , Fareed Gafoor , Malaysian Bar

KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 – The Malaysian Bar Council launched its first education venture, a LLM in Malaysian Legal Practise (LLM), last year in collaboration with the College Of Law Australia.

The LLM does not seem to have the approval of Malaysia’s Legal Professional Qualifying Board (LPQB) but the website for the course, which is hosted in Australia, prominently displays the Bar Council crest.

The crest has not been used before to promote a course of study, and queries put to Bar Council President Fareed Gafoor about the use of the crest have been acknowledged but remain unanswered.

NMT has however sighted an email from Fareed dated Friday, May 24, 2019 with regards the LLM and the use of the crest where he states:

Dear Rajen,

We can’t remain silent on this.

Abdul Fareed Bin Abdul Gafoor

Sent from my iPad

It is understood that “Rajen” refers to  Rajen Devaraj, Chief Executive Officer of the Bar Council Secretariat in Kuala Lumpur.

The Bar has remained silent for nearly 2 months since.

Key person suddenly retired during extensive query

The College of Law used to be represented in Malaysia by its Director, Peter Tritt. Tritt have been queried extensively about the LLM and about the College’s business in Malaysia but has refused to provide answers. Tritt has been based in Kuala Lumpur since 2017 but announced on Friday that he had “retired” from the College on 30 June 2019.

It is understood that Tritt has forwarded queries sent him to his head office in Sydney and hence it appears that Tritt is under orders from his Chief Executive, Neville Carter, to remain silent.

Questionable advertising claims?

In advertising on the College’s website Carter has claimed that he had established a Professional Legal Training course for Malaysian Law students seeking admission to practise in Malaysia. There seems to be no evidence of such a course, or of any national level training course for the existing Certificate of Legal Practise.

Carter has also claimed to have produced the “inaugural” Handbook in Legal Practise for Malaysia, in the late 80s. A search of the main law libraries in Malaysia directed by the Chief Registrar, Federal Court Malaysia, has not found any such handbook.

He has also claimed to have, during that time to have identified and addressed “gaps” in Malaysian legal practise, but not even those in practice during that period and since have ever heard of him. Nor are senior practitioners aware of  “gaps” that needed that to be addressed by external consultants.

As CEO of the College Carter  has ultimate responsibility for the College’s Malaysian operation headed by Tritt and variously named the “College Of Law Asia Pacific” and the “College Of Law Asia”. A search by NMT has not revealed any entities registered under those names in Malaysia or in Australia, not even a foreign entities registered to conduct business in Malaysia.

Meanwhile the College, in collaboration with the Bar Council continues to sell its LLM and other courses in Malaysia, deriving a fee income from Malaysian courses.

-NMT