TUM SITE NAVIGATION
My blog, The Underground Mapper, at its core and in its entirety is rooted in the law, and legal thought, towards advocacy and serves as a platform to advance the causes I truly believe in – mapping a path from within my community and then further, across society. While all my work on TUM is humbly dedicated towards explaining what the law is and raising concerns about fairness, justice, equity and equality, as already explained in my “About” section, I have chosen to name my blog “The Underground Mapper” and the interface of my blog is mostly of trains, railway stations and rail systems because the association to trains, railways and rail systems reflect a belief that, much like a journey on a train, sometimes even through dark tunnels, life’s difficulties are never permanent (at least they should never be permanent) – we will all, in time, like a journey on a train, emerge back into the light, and onto the right platform in our lives, again.
[The Underground Mapper is NOT a platform for purchasing any real-world train ticket for any real physical journey on a train. The Underground Mapper is a legal blog.]
I designed the visual theme of The Underground Mapper and have decided that the elementary theme of The Underground Mapper (TUM) will draw inspiration from UK’s (England’s) trains, railway stations and railway systems. (But also, depending on the article published, I may sometimes depart from the use of imagery of trains and/or railway systems.) The English railway system is an obvious elementary imagery selection here that will run through the theme of my blog, as it not only reflects The Underground Mapper’s title, but as my university academia was based on the English legal system and upon spending time in the UK as a student, I thought that it is only well suited that there will be elementary imagery of the English railway system. As I would like to acknowledge my experiences in the UK, and so by doing this, I want to reflect through TUM how the UK has shaped my knowledge and understanding of the legal system, the experiences in my life and my intellectual thought. Also, as Malaysia was once colonised by the British and is a member of the Commonwealth, our legal system (just like many other Commonwealth nations) is primarily based on the English Legal system and is very often, historically and presently, modelled after or influenced by the English Legal System.
Yet, in time and through my experiences, I do intend to expand the theme of my blog by incorporating imagery drawn from trains, railway stations and rail systems from other parts of the world, so that the mapping on TUM continues to grow beyond a single metropolitan! The idea therefore is that the expansion and evolution of imagery on TUM will generally reflect the location in which I reside in and also the jurisdiction of each of the articles published on The Underground Mapper.
This expansion and evolution of imagery on The Underground Mapper brings me to the present set of imagery that will take precedence and appear most frequently on TUM. As a Malaysian lawyer, the vast majority of my articles written will be about the Malaysian legal system (unless specified otherwise) and because Malaysia is my birthplace and the jurisdiction in which I presently live in and practice law, the prevailing imagery on TUM will be of Malaysia’s trains, railway stations, and rail systems. Again, occasionally and depending on the article published, I may depart from using imagery of trains, railway stations or rail systems and use other imagery that I think is more suitable for the article published.
In line with this mapping of the law and then beyond the law, The Underground Mapper is now organised into distinct “train lines” a.k.a – new and distinct blog tabs—each representing a different pursuit along this imaginative but thoughtful virtual legal railway system that is written in fact. These train lines / blog tabs are defined below to guide readers through the various layers of my work, from legal analysis and advocacy to deeper reflections on morality, justice, and real-life experiences. Together, they form a multifaceted legal railway system, allowing readers to navigate through TUM with clarity. Hence, here I present to you the 11 TUM train lines / new blog tabs:
| TUM Train Lines / Blog Tabs | Description |
|---|---|
| About | Get to know the author of The Underground Mapper, read a brief introduction to The Underground Mapper and navigate through The Underground Mapper via - TUM’s Site Navigation. |
| Mind The Law | This is the primary section of TUM, featuring articles on current law, legal processes, recent developments, and decided cases—offering insight in clear and plain language into how the legal system and the justice system operates today. |
| The Rush Hour Line | Articles published under The Rush Hour Line are general articles or commentary about the law and also beyond the law that do not belong to any other train line / blog tab on TUM. Just like being in a crowded commute, the issues explored and discussed in The Rush Hour Line are familiar struggles that belong to all of us which often have caused growing tensions and what I’d like to call “passive unrest” within society as a whole. |
| Historia Legum | Historia Legum means history of the laws in Latin. Here, I provide short accounts on legal history, tracing the evolution of law through key moments and milestones that have shaped legal systems around the world and across time. |
| The Inspection Line | A critical space for inspecting and evaluating laws, legal principles, and broader questions of justice, fairness, equality, and inhumane treatments in my community and more broadly in society today —particularly where reforms, deeper protection and attention are needed. |
| The Moral Underground Line | While the law is not always a complete mirror of our moral values, the relationship between the law and morality is a cornerstone of legal philosophy. Morality is essential for protecting human dignity and ensuring fair treatment, whereas relying solely on law can lead to cold, detached, or even cruel outcomes. As a millennial—raised by baby boomers, shaped alongside Generation X, and now standing between the inherited wisdom of the Silent Generation and the evolving ideals of Generation Z—The Moral Underground Line offers a personal yet critical reflection on the moral principles passed down to us through generations as well as the moral principles we now refuse to inherit in the name of becoming a purported “modern society.” Under this tab, I seek to advocate for a conscious return to principled living, and to ensure that morality is not buried beneath us, but elevated as the essence of who we are. |
| Beyond The Law & In The Community | As an advocate and solicitor, I truly believe that our purpose in society is not only to interpret and administer the law but an advocate and solicitor’s role is in fact, quite multifaceted. Our purpose extends deeper into the fabric of society as we must stand alongside the unheard and the unseen in society to amplify the voices of those who are underrepresented in society – the disabled, the poor, the weak, and the most vulnerable within our communities. Because it is in these communities that injustices are quietly endured. As Mahatma Gandhi famously said, “the measure of a nation’s greatness is by how it treats its weakest members”. My Beyond The Law & In The Community blog tab is therefore devoted to highlighting and advancing the causes I truly believe in so that fairness, justice, equity, equality, and humane treatments are not just distant ideologies that we dream of but instead are real lived ideals that all of us in society can experience in a dignified manner. In acknowledging a good, fair and strong legal system, one must look at how the law uplifts those who most need it. |
| TUM Events | An aspirational Tab. This section highlights events, initiatives, and opportunities for readers to engage with and support the causes championed by TUM. |
| Caution (Disclaimer) | Outlines important guidelines, disclaimers, and expectations to ensure that all content and engagement on TUM remain respectful, responsible, and aligned with professional standards. |
| Platform Notices | General announcements relating to TUM, including updates, publications, and relevant developments concerning the platform and its work. |
| Contact TUM | For all enquiries and correspondence, including collaborations and general communication with The Underground Mapper. |
Mind The Law, Historia Legum, The Inspection Line, The Moral Underground, Beyond The Law And In The Community – this tab has a sub-tab called – Tree of Life, TUM Events and the normal tabs such as – Contact TUM, Caution (Disclaimer) and Platform Notices.
