Paul Kwong was born on 7 October 1957 to Anna Poon and Kwong Sea Wai. He was called to the Malaysian Bar in 1991.
For Paul, lawyering was his second calling. Before he became an advocate and solicitor of the High Court, he had served his country in the Royal Malaysian Navy.
Paul joined the Navy as a cadet officer and was commissioned in 1979. After serving eight years and attaining the rank of Lieutenant (Navy), he took a sabbatical to read law at the University of North London. Having obtained his law degree and passing the Bar exams, he returned to the Navy and was made prosecutor of the Court Martials.
He retired from the Navy in 1990 and read in chambers of Dato’ Bill Davidson, the founding partner of the firm Azman Davidson & Co.
Paul rose quickly through the ranks and was made partner of the firm in 1994. He practised predominantly in the area of admiralty law, marine insurance, litigation, arbitration and adjudication.
An unflinching advocate, he was unafraid to accept any legal brief, even if the work involved matters completely new to him. And throughout his career, he had been involved in a number of major cases. A notable one has since been a leading authority in the law of contempt.
Paul was a natural sportsman. From his school days, he excelled not only academically but also in athletics. He was a gifted cricketer and represented the Bar in the Malaysia-Singapore Bar Games for many years.
What was notable to everyone who knew Paul was his generous heart and easy-going nature.
Although he was a senior partner, he treated the lawyers and staff under him with the same level of camaraderie and conviviality as when he first started as pupil many years ago. He shared good humor and a big smile with everyone. Those who had worked closely with him were extremely loyal and fond of him. They had a bond with Paul beyond just a good working relationship. He was a big brother to them.
The lawyers and staff regularly interacted with Paul outside work. He happily welcomed them to his home, and they, without reservation, would visit him at the smallest pretense. Many who had left the firm had kept in close contact with Paul and family.
This was Paul. He easily made friends and kept us all forever his friends. His faithfulness to the people in his life could be seen in the way he steadfastly maintained ties with his childhood friends from Malacca High School, many of whom remained in touch with Paul till the day of his passing.
Paul lived life with infectious enthusiasm. He was always game to try new things and would lead the way, often managing to rope in many who were initially circumspect to participate with joyful abandon. One time, for one of the firm’s annual dinner show, Paul demonstrated the “Gangnam” style dance and led all his fellow partners to do that dance on stage for the gleeful entertainment of the staff. That dance was captured on video and now lives for posterity on YouTube!
He was also a very talented singer and musician and was always happy to play the guitar and serenade for his family and friends. No party was ever complete without a performance from Paul.
Paul was a man dedicated to his family. He was always loving to his wife, Sharon, gentle, good-humored, and forbearing with her. They shared a life together for over 40 years, since their high school days in Melaka, and have been blessed with a son, Jia Shen, and, a daughter, Jia Yuin.
He was a father devoted to his children, and, despite the demands of his profession, had always made time for them. Paul had passed on to Jia Shen and Jia Yuin his sporting nature, with results that both are strong swimmers who have won many high-level competitions. He had guided both of them to where they are today: assured and resilient young adults. And Jia Yuin has followed her father’s footsteps to take up law and is now practising in the firm her father built his career.
Paul had also become a grandfather in 2015, and his grand daughter, Kyra Kwong Ru Yi, had brought so much joy into his life, especially the years of his battle with cancer.
With his passing, Paul has left behind a legacy of kindness, compassion, and generosity. A kind soul and dependable friend, he will be missed.
Written by,
H.Y. Chong
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The late Paul Kwong Kum Wah @ Kum Wah Kwong Paul was born on 7 October 1957. He read law at the Polytechnic of North London and was admitted as an Advocate & Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya on 2 August 1991.
The late Paul Kwong Kum Wah @ Kum Wah Kwong Paul passed away on 1 October 2020 and at the time of his demise was practising as a partner in the law firm of Azman Davidson & Co, Kuala Lumpur. He will be fondly remembered in the hearts of his loved ones.
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I had the privilege of working with Mr. Paul Kwong during my time at Messrs. Azman Davidson & Co (the “Firm”), where I was an Associate of the Firm. While I did not directly work under Mr. Kwong, I did drop by his room from time to time to seek advice on certain matters or to just chat generally. He knew my late father as both served in the Navy. I had the honour, together with 2 other of my fellow members of the Bar, to visit Mr. Paul Kwong and briefly talked to him on the day he passed on. He was lucid at the time and despite his condition, greeted all of us there. It was then a shock to learn about an hour thereafter, of his passing. I am grateful for the guidance Mr. Paul Kwong has imparted to me and I hope that those who had the same privilege and opportunity to cross paths with him will remember him for the person he is. May his soul rest in peace. – James Ding Tse Wen