Rm7mil For Free Legal Aid Services This Year

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The Legal Aid Foundation is an ideal platform for young lawyers as they can represent clients during remand, bail applications, trials and appeals.PUTRAJAYA: The government has allocated a RM7 million grant to the National Legal Aid Foundation for lawyers to represent the poor in criminal cases this year, Attorney-General Idrus Harun said.
He said this showed Putrajaya’s commitment to ensure equal access to justice for those in need of legal redress.
“The number of people benefiting from services provided by the foundation has grown from 91,544 in 2013 to 215,990 in 2020.
“This growth resulted in an increase in the foundation’s expenses from approximately RM2 million in 2013 to RM9.1 million in 2020,” he said at the opening of the legal year here today.
Idrus Harun.Idrus, who is also the chairman of the foundation, said it had been allocated about RM58 million since its inception in 2012.
He said the partnership among the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), the Bar Council and other members of the legal fraternity had been robust, and the legal aid scheme for the poor was also an excellent platform to train lawyers.
A total of 697 lawyers had taken part in the scheme in 2012, and 3,121 counsel had registered to take up cases presently.
“I must thank each and every one of the lawyers who registered for their continued support and contribution as part of the social responsibility that we share,” he said.
Through this scheme, young lawyers are able to represent clients during remand, bail applications, trials and appeals.
Malaysian Bar president AG Kalidas, who also spoke at the event, said the Bar had engaged with the authorities so that the poor would have continued access to legal services during the lockdown period last year.
He said the Bar made firm representations that lawyers be allowed to continue providing their services, and be able to effectively represent their clients.
Kalidas said that without the foundation, the poor and needy would likely go unrepresented as they had no other means to obtain legal representation.
He said that compared with the volume, expertise and depth of service that the lawyers provide, they received very little payment in proportion to the work done, in comparison with other countries. - FMT

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