Derek John Fernandez

Derek John Fernandez has been appointed as Commission Member of the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission effective from 18 April 2023 for a period of two (2) years.

Mr Fernandez obtained his B.Sc., LL.B. (Hons.) from Monash University, Australia, and was called to the Victorian Bar Australia on 8th November 1989 and the Malaysian Bar on 22 February 1991. He has been practicing law for the past 30 years as an Advocate and Solicitors of the High Court of Malaya and a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia. He is also the Managing Partner of the Messrs Fernandez & Selvarajah, a reputable litigation firm. He has served for twelve years as a senior councillor in Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (“MBPJ”). He is presently a member of the Finance Committee of MBPJ.

Mr Fernandez has been appointed as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Malaysian Nature Society, a director and member of the Audit Committee of CyberSecurity Malaysia (CSM) and a member of the National Water Services Commission (SPAN). He also serves as a legal advisor to several Members of Parliament, State Assemblymen, and Chief Ministers. In addition, he had written an article and action plan entitled “Cybersecurity, need for change in approach” dated 26 August 2022, which was submitted to the Minister of Communications and Digital.

Mr Fernandez also held multiple positions and responsibilities, including the Chairman of the Joint Action Committee for Bukit Gasing as well as the Chairman of various working groups set up by the Selangor State Government in relation to Local Government, Town and Country Planning and Land Law. He was directly involved in the preparation of the State Structure 2 Plan for Selangor, the Structure Plan for Petaling District and the Local Plans for Petaling Jaya where he represented thousands of residents. He also represented several organisations and Residents’ Associations in the Draft Kuala Lumpur Plan hearings, as well as residents in the Subang Jaya Local Plan hearings. He also served on the Malaysian Bar Council’s Task Force looking into the Bukit Antarabangsa tragedy. His notable contributions to the development of financial governance in MBPJ include the setting up of an Audit and governance committee in MBPJ, improving City Council non-rate revenue through the management of outdoor advertising, and critical infrastructure trust funds and development charges.

Over the years, Mr Fernandez has received numerous awards and made various significant contributions to MBPJ. As a prominent columnist, Mr Fernandez also contributed numerous articles to local newspapers such as The New Straits Times, The Sun and The Malay Mail on topics of public interest, and he is featured regularly in the media as an expert on local government matters. He also conducted various seminars and presented papers at the national and international level on Local Government Law and Planning Law for Government servants, professional associations, residents, and members of the public. He is widely regarded by the media as an expert in Public Law, Local Government Law, Land Law and Planning and Development Law. He has been extensively cited in the media as an expert on numerous contemporary issues in these fields.