Programme
Two days of keynotes, peer-to-peer reports and expert panels on future-proofing Asian insolvency systems.
Time
Session
09:00 – 09:45
Registration and Welcome Coffee
09:45
Arrival of YB Dato' Sri Azalina Othman Said,
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform)
09:45 – 09:50
Malaysian National Anthem & Dua Recitation
09:50 – 09:55
Welcome Remarks
Scott Atkins, INSOL Past President & INSOL Fellow, Norton Rose Fulbright, Australia
09:55 – 10:00
Welcome Remarks
Lamtiurida Hutabarat, Acting Country Manager, Malaysia, World Bank Group
10:00 – 10:10
Keynote Address
YB Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform)
10:10 – 10:20
Token of Appreciation to
World Bank Group – Fernando Dancausa and Lamtiurida Hutabarat
INSOL Past President & INSOL Fellow, Norton Rose Fulbright (G36), Australia – Scott Atkins
International Monetary Fund (IMF) – Eugenia Siracusa
United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) – Athita Komindr
Video Montage Presentation
Group Photo Session
10:20 – 10:50
Coffee Break
10:50 – 11:35
Peer-to-Peer Reports
Michael Dorman, Australian Securities and Investments Commission, Australia
Sokunchivy Sok, Securities and Regulator of Cambodia (SERC)
Raghav Maheshwari, Insolvency Bankruptcy Board of India
Victor Saw Seng Kee, The Insolvency Practitioners Association of Malaysia
11:35 – 12:20
Peer-to-Peer Reports Continued
Bilguun Tumenbayar, Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs of Mongolia
Allen Lye, Ministry of Law, Singapore
Chanaka De Silva, PC, Nithya Partners, Sri Lanka
Seaksan Sooksang, Legal Execution Department, Thailand
12:20 – 12:50
Reflections and Comments on Peer-to-Peer Reports
12:50 – 14:00
Lunch
14:00 – 14:30
Economic Trends
Purva Khera, International Monetary Fund
This session will provide an overview of recent developments in the macro environment that could have a direct impact on firms and trigger financial distress, highlighting key vulnerabilities: trade policy uncertainty, post-pandemic debt overhang and tighter monetary conditions.
14:30 – 15:45
Personal Insolvency
A wave of personal insolvency reforms has transformed the insolvency landscape in Asia, with some jurisdictions passing their first consumer insolvency laws in their history, with others further perfecting their already existing systems. The panel will consider the extent to which these new laws have addressed the needs of this sector in their economies.
Chair: Fernando Dancausa, World Bank Group
Hon. Justice Linda Chan, Court of First Instance of the High Court of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
Russell Fildes, Insolvency & Trustee Service, New Zealand
Nik Syahril Nik Ab Rahman, Malaysian Department of Insolvency, Malaysia
Kevin Teoh, Ministry of Law, Singapore
15:45 – 16:15
Coffee Break
16:15 – 16:45
Delegate Discussion on Matters Arising on Day 1
16:45 – 16:50
Close of first day
18:30 – 19:30
Evening Programme and Activities hosted by the Malaysian Department of Insolvency
19:30 – 21:30
Official Dinner
Time
Session
08:30 – 09:00
Welcome Tea and Coffee
09:00 – 09:15
Reflections on Day 1
Scott Atkins, INSOL Past President & INSOL Fellow, Norton Rose Fulbright, Australia
Fernando Dancausa, World Bank Group
09:15 – 10:30
UNCITRAL’s Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency (MLCBI)
Recent trends around the MLCBI in Asia show increased interest in adopting this instrument as well as gradual legal convergence. This session will discuss recent developments around the adoption of the MLCBI, including a discussion on Malaysia’s recent experience, as well as an update from other jurisdictions currently working on the adoption process. Overview of the adoption status of other UNCITRAL’s instruments in Asia.
Chair: Athita Komindr, UNCITRAL Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific
Professor Xiahong Chen, Tianjin University, People’s Republic of China
Harold Foo, Ministry of Law, Singapore
Datuk Thiyagu Ganesan, The Legal Affairs Division of Prime Minister’s Department
Hon. Judge Jung Hwa You, Seoul Bankruptcy Court, Republic of Korea
10:30 – 11:00
Coffee Break
11:00 – 12:15
Judicial Cooperation in Cross-Border Insolvency
This session will examine how courts in Asia coordinate parallel insolvency proceedings, communicate across jurisdictions, and recognize foreign insolvency representatives to manage multinational restructurings more effectively. The discussion will highlight emerging regional practices, the role of court-to-court and electronic communication and cooperation protocols, and the influence of international frameworks such as the Judicial Insolvency Network Guidelines for Communication and Cooperation Between Courts.
Chair: Eva Sit SC, Temple Chambers, Hong Kong SAR
Hon. Judge Kanok Jullamon, Bankruptcy Division of the Supreme Court, Thailand
Hon. Justice Nani Indrawati, Supreme Court of Indonesia
Azniza Mohd Ali, Office of the Chief Registrar of the Federal Court, Malaysia
Hon. Justice Kristy Tan, Supreme Court, Singapore
12:15 – 12:30
INSOL Asia Hub update
Clare Wee, Regional Head, Asia
INSOL International, Asia Hub
12:30 – 13:45
Lunch
13:45 – 15:00
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
This session will examine the role of mediation and arbitration in facilitating negotiations between debtors, creditors, and other stakeholders. The discussion will consider how ADR mechanisms can support consensual restructurings, reduce litigation costs, and accelerate the resolution of insolvency-related disputes, particularly in cross-border contexts.
Chair: Hon. Justice Dato’ Mary Lim Thiam Suan, AIAC Court of Arbitration, Malaysia
Professor Shin-Ichiro Abe, Shin & Partners, Japan
Andrew Chiew, Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill, Malaysia
Hon. Justice Anselmo Reyes, Singapore International Commercial Court, Singapore
15:00 – 15:30
Coffee Break
15:30 – 16:45
Directors’ Duties and Preventing Abuse of Insolvency Proceedings
This session will explore how directors’ duties shift in the vicinity of insolvency, including obligations to consider creditor interests, avoid wrongful or fraudulent trading, and ensure responsible use of restructuring tools, including workouts. The panel will also discuss the risks of debtor opportunism, such as strategic filings, asset shifting, or delays that may prejudice creditors, and examine how different jurisdictions address these concerns through legal standards, court supervision, and enforcement mechanisms
Chair: Eugenia Siracusa, IMF
Debanshu Mukherjee, Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy
Sheila Ng, Rajah & Tann, Singapore
Shahwar Nizam, DFDL, Bangladesh
Lingqi Wang, Fangda Partners, PR. China
16:45 – 17:00
Open Discussion and Suggestions for the Future Programmes
17:00 – 17:15
Conference Concluding Remarks
Scott Atkins, INSOL Past President & INSOL Fellow, Norton Rose Fulbright (G36), Australia
Fernando Dancausa, World Bank Groups
The Technical Programme may be subject to change.
It is intended that all sessions will provide adequate opportunity for delegate contribution.