Background — About Pravum
Formed Around One Discipline, Practised With Rigour
Pravum was set up to practise criminal defence exclusively — not as a department within a general firm, but as the whole point of the practice. Based at Jalan Maarof, Bangsar, the team handles matters from investigation through to sessions court proceedings.
Return to HomepageBrief — Our Story
Why Pravum Exists
Pravum was founded on a straightforward observation: individuals drawn into criminal proceedings in Malaysia rarely arrive at their first appointment with any clear sense of what is ahead. The procedural gap between receiving a summons and understanding what it means — practically and legally — is significant. This firm was set up to close that gap.
The name is taken from Latin, carrying the sense of proving or demonstrating — an appropriate frame for the work of criminal defence, which is fundamentally about what can be shown, challenged, and tested against the facts as the prosecution presents them.
From its offices in Bangsar, the firm handles three levels of engagement: initial consultations for individuals at the early stage of a matter, magistrate court representations, and full sessions court defence engagements. This range is intentional — it allows clients to receive appropriate assistance at each stage of a matter without being over-serviced or under-supported.
Process — Our Mission
How We Approach Each Matter
Every matter begins with an honest assessment. The client is told what the charge means, what the range of outcomes is, and what the process looks like from here. This conversation happens before any engagement is formalised, because an informed decision about representation is more useful than one made under pressure.
Work on each file proceeds methodically: case review, prosecution document analysis, witness consideration, and — where applicable — preparation for testimony. The defence theory is developed from the specifics of each matter, not adapted from a template.
Communication with the client is regular throughout. After each court date or significant development, the client receives a clear account of what happened and what comes next. There is no period of unexplained silence between appointments.
Counsel — The Team
The People Behind the Practice
Datin Haslinah Mohd Rashid
Principal Advocate & Solicitor
Called to the Malaysian Bar in 2009, Haslinah has worked exclusively in criminal matters for the past eleven years. She handles sessions court engagements and supervises the firm's overall case preparation methodology.
Arjun Krishnamurthy
Advocate & Solicitor
Arjun joined Pravum in 2021 and manages magistrate court representation engagements. He leads initial consultations for new clients and prepares written representations to the prosecution on a regular basis.
Nurul Zahirah Ahmad
Legal Associate
Nurul manages case documentation, prepares case chronologies, and coordinates the firm's file management process. She assists with client communication throughout active engagements.
Process — Standards We Hold
Practice Standards at Pravum
Malaysian Bar Compliance
All advocates are members in good standing of the Malaysian Bar and conduct their practice in accordance with the Legal Profession Act 1976 and the applicable Rules of Conduct.
Legal Professional Privilege
All client communications are protected by professional privilege. Pravum does not disclose what clients share without authority, except as required by the limited statutory exceptions under Malaysian law.
Clear Engagement Letters
Before any engagement proceeds, a written letter sets out the scope of work, the fee structure, and the points at which the matter will be reviewed. Nothing is open-ended without a documented basis.
Evidence-Based Defence
Defence preparation begins with the documents and not with assumptions. Investigation papers, witness statements, and prosecution materials are reviewed in full before a defence theory is formulated.
Conflict of Interest Checks
A conflict check is conducted before every engagement is accepted. Where a conflict exists — or where it could arise as the matter develops — the position is disclosed and the client is assisted in finding alternative representation.
Personal Data Protection
Client data is held and processed in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (Malaysia). Data shared as part of an engagement is used for that engagement only and is not retained beyond the required period.
Brief — Our Expertise
Criminal Defence Work in the Malaysian Courts
Criminal matters in Malaysia proceed under the Criminal Procedure Code (Act 593) and are distributed across the magistrate courts, sessions courts, and High Court depending on the nature and severity of the offence. The allocation of jurisdiction determines the procedural path, the sentencing range, and the options available to the defence. Pravum operates primarily at the magistrate and sessions court levels, where the majority of criminal matters in Kuala Lumpur are resolved.
At the consultation stage, the focus is on giving the individual a clear account of what is happening and what their options are. Many individuals arrive at an initial consultation having received advice informally — from family, colleagues, or online sources — that has left them with an inaccurate picture of what they are facing. Setting that picture straight, with reference to the actual law and the specific facts as disclosed, is where much of the value of an early consultation lies.
Magistrate court representation at Pravum covers all phases: case review, preparation of written representations to the Deputy Public Prosecutor, attendance at all mention dates, and conduct of trial or plea proceedings as the matter requires. Clients are kept informed throughout, and significant decisions are explained before they are made.
For matters at the sessions court level, the preparation workload is considerably heavier. The team conducts a structured review of investigation papers, analyses prosecution witness statements, develops the defence theory from the specific facts, and prepares submissions. Sentencing mitigation — often an afterthought in less careful practices — is given the same preparation time as the substantive defence. Where the matter benefits from senior counsel involvement, that is arranged as part of the engagement rather than as a separately managed exercise.
Counsel — Engage Us
Discuss Your Matter With Us
A first-hour consultation can be arranged at our Bangsar offices or by telephone. There is no obligation to proceed with a formal engagement after the session, and what you share remains confidential.
Arrange a Consultation