Special Address | Dato' Mary Lim Thiam Suan | 5th International Women Lawyers Conference 2026

So much has already been said, and so well said by Jasmine and Anand, I will share from slightly different perspectives, it may be a repeat of some earlier ideas but the rule of law mandates that it forms my mantra. So here it goes.

My congratulations and thanks to the Association of Women Lawyers for this 5 series. I am sure there will be 6, 7 and more. My association with AWL goes a long way back, perhaps even before some of you were born. Let me welcome you to Bangunan Sulaiman which I affectionately call the House of Dispute Resolution.

Let me also especially welcome our foreign guests and like a real warm Malaysia, let me welcome our guests from abroad. Welcome ashore. There is generational representation in this auditorium and I am extremely proud of this heritage as they are my future; they are yours.

1. In 2021, at the 3rd IWLC held solely online, I spoke about my struggle on finding the right message, what my fight song was. I found 2 finally – You’ve got a friend and We are the Champions. They are still my fight songs, 5 years down the road to this 5th in the series. It has been quite a journey though my affiliation with the Association of Women Lawyers goes much further back to at least, over 40 years ago.

2. From speaking about “The power of my brain, not the length of my skirt” in 2017 to empowering “all women to be changemakers”, the theme has finally reached “the future is ours to lead”. And lead we must because we are born, natural leaders. But, we must lead as women and not as honorary men who sit quietly at the side-lines accepting less or worse, handouts.

3. According to the organisers, this clarion call is urgent because we cannot afford to have our “future” lament on us and our lack of foresight or initiative. We must engage and inspire new digital natives of women leaders. Towards that end, may I offer two observations.

4. First, the caution by Thomas Friedman that our world is increasingly flat. This is because access is now “farther, faster, deeper and cheaper than ever” before. We therefore must rethink and retool. Otherwise, we will be flattened if not flatlined.

5. In his speech on “The Future of Commercial Litigation: How not to fall off the edge of a flat world”, CJ Sundaresh Menon warned 10 years ago that if we do not reshape, “…if we chose to carry on with business as usual, instead of acting to face the future, I fear we may fall of the edge and society in general will be the worse for it”.

6. Transnational economic activity has reached unprecedented levels and cross-border disputes have acquired hitherto unseen levels of complexity whether in issues of law, technology, finance or science. Frequently, we see multi-parties, jurisdictions and jurisprudence at play. These have no regard for gender,

7. So, how do we future ready? Are we too late?

8. In my view, we must know and be a part of what is happening out there. We must be the happening. We must know why we are happening, when and how it is to happen.

9. To be a viable, respectable and credible happening, may I dare suggest we shake off our shackles and props and compete on merit, sell, promote and capitalize on our difference, diversity, uniqueness. We should celebrate our diversity instead of discouraging focus.

10. In this regard, it is perhaps time to revisit traditional characterizations of the human race. How do you describe the modern digital child of today. While we celebrate our diversities, we nevertheless hanker to die-hard traits of describing the human race in terms of gender, race, age and the like, as if there is no space for grey. Already parenthood has reached phenomenal shifts of rethinking through petri-dish conceptions where parents are no longer biological or adoptive. So, why must the child be defined by race?

11. The rest of the world, the growing regions of Asia, North Africa and Middle East are consciously including diversity, whether of gender, age or geographical location in their choice, be it of advisers, leaders or simply team members.

12. Already helming many leading ADR institutions are ICC by Claudia Solomon, SIAC by Lucy Reed and Gloria Lim, LCIA by Paula Hodges, Swiss Arbitration Association by Andrea Meier, Brenda Horrigan at ACICA, Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration, HKIAC, Joanna Lum while here at the AIAC are Almalena and I. We are living testimonies of that growing canopy of diverse expertise future ready for any jurisdiction or jurisdiction redefined.

13. As we reshape our future, I suggest we change as it is the law of life. If we cling to our past and even present, I am certain we are not future ready.

14. The second observation concerns this bond of fraternity amongst us today. We have shared disciplines and interests but we must also share a vision that will resonate across generational lines and divides. While we embrace and include AI and generative intelligence in our lives and work such that cross-border interactions expand, process of our documentation becomes almost limitless with increased pace, our clients out there not only demand higher quality of work, they think we should be available and responsive 24/7.

15. This has generated new pressures pushing many firms to focus increasingly on revenues and new opportunities. At the same time, this advent has seen our young, our future, leave home and our shores, keen to experience career changes from courtroom to boardroom to inhouse to no-legal base, half way round the globe.

16. Meanwhile, costs have escalated in dispute resolution and transactions have become more complex. This equates to some degree to there being less time and opportunity for the young lawyer, our future, to develop their lawyer craft. I understand this can be quite demoralizing.

17. And I now make my final point for our future. We cannot have a meaningful future if the issue of mental wellness and deportment are not taken seriously.

18. The challenges faced by our young lawyers, our future, cannot be trivialized. The stress arising from digitalization and its pace is so punishing and must never be viewed as a sign of fragility.

19. With significant interfacing through virtual space, the degree and quality of human interactions where mentorship and general camaraderie and support are lost or severely damaged. Direct human contact, fresh air and sunshine, are priceless and can bring so much positivism.

20. AWL started a mentorship some years back. It is time to revisit that program and check on its mentees and perhaps even mentors; whether that program should be revived and reshaped.

21. Looking at the program drawn up, I am heartened that the AWL has never lost its focus and commitment. Thank you for your steadying hand and commitment. We/I have given and reminded you of values and now may you lead.

22. I wish you insightful deliberations as you hear and learn from the best so that your toolkit equips you as our future leader.