George Town, Penang
A practice built on careful work.
Amanah was founded to give families in Penang access to measured, honest counsel on inheritance matters — without the impersonal feel of a large firm.
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Founded in 2009 in the heart of George Town.
Amanah began as a small practice within a George Town shophouse, founded by a lawyer who had spent eight years at a larger Kuala Lumpur firm and wished to return to Penang to serve families closer to home. The word amanah — trust, in Malay — was chosen deliberately. It describes both the legal instrument at the centre of estate planning and the quality of relationship the practice aims to build with each client.
In the years since, Amanah has remained a focused practice. We have not expanded into corporate law or litigation generally. Inheritance matters — trust drafting, estate disputes, and beneficiary correspondence — remain our only work. That focus means the lawyers here know this area thoroughly, and clients are not handed to junior staff without warning.
Penang's families come to us at moments that are often difficult: a parent has passed, siblings are disagreeing, or a trust needs to be set up before something unforeseen occurs. We take those moments seriously. We do not rush the conversation, and we do not overstate what is achievable.
Our office on Jalan Anson is open to walk-in enquiries during business hours, and we see clients from across the northern states — Penang, Kedah, and Perak — as well as those based in Kuala Lumpur who prefer a smaller firm for a personal matter.
Founded
2009
George Town, Penang
Practice Area
Inheritance Law Only
Trusts · Disputes · Correspondence
Registration
Malaysian Bar
Penang branch · All lawyers registered
Languages
EN · BM · 中文
Advice in English, Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin
The Team
The people handling your matter.
Every engagement at Amanah is handled by a qualified lawyer, not a paralegal. There are no handoffs without your knowledge.
Rohana Nair
Principal Lawyer
Called to the Malaysian Bar in 2001. Rohana founded Amanah after working in estate law in Kuala Lumpur. She leads all trust drafting engagements and heads the practice.
Tan Li Wen
Associate Lawyer
Admitted in 2017 with a focus on estate disputes. Li Wen manages inheritance dispute counsel engagements and leads client meetings for contested matters.
Ahmad Shafiq
Legal Assistant
Ahmad coordinates client correspondence and prepares the supporting documentation for trust instruments and beneficiary letters. He is the first point of contact for new enquiries.
Our Standards
How we work.
Malaysian Bar Registration
All practising lawyers at Amanah hold a valid practising certificate issued by the Malaysian Bar. Our registration can be verified on the Bar's public directory.
Solicitor-Client Privilege
All information shared in an engagement is held in strict legal confidence. We do not discuss client matters outside the engagement team without explicit consent.
Written Engagement Letters
Before any work begins, we provide a written engagement letter setting out the scope, fee, and expected timeframe. Nothing proceeds without your written agreement.
Client Account Compliance
Client funds are held in a separate client account in accordance with the Solicitors' Accounts Rules. Disbursements are itemised and reported to you promptly.
Regular Client Updates
We keep you informed at each stage of the engagement. If there is nothing new to report, we say so. We do not leave you wondering about the status of your matter.
Personal Data Protection
We comply with the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (Malaysia). Client data is stored securely, accessed only by the engagement team, and not shared with third parties without consent.
Our Approach
Inheritance law in Malaysia requires a practical hand, not only a technical one.
Malaysia's inheritance framework draws on civil law, Islamic succession principles under the Administration of Muslim Law Enactments, and Adat where relevant. A trust instrument drafted in Penang must account for local land law, the Trustees Act 1949, and the practical realities of how estates are administered here — not simply the letter of a standard precedent. Amanah's work reflects that nuance.
When a family trust is being established, the choice of trustee matters as much as the wording of the deed. We take time to understand who the proposed trustees are, what they are willing and able to do, and whether the structure will actually work in practice once the settlor is no longer here to guide it. A deed that looks clean on paper but creates confusion in operation is not a good piece of work.
In dispute matters, we are direct about what litigation costs — in time, money, and family relationships. Many estate disputes in Penang involve families who will need to remain in some form of contact after the matter concludes. We keep that in mind when advising on strategy.
Beneficiary letters are shorter engagements, but they carry weight. A poorly worded notice of distribution can provoke a dispute that costs far more to resolve than the letter cost to draft. We write these letters with that possibility in mind.
Next Steps
Ready to speak with us?
An initial consultation carries no obligation. We will listen to your situation and let you know honestly whether we are able to assist and on what terms.
Arrange a Consultation