Use free mediation: SLS

Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Law Society (SLS) has urged the public in the state to use the free mediation provided under the Covid-19 Mediation Centre (PMC-19).

SLS president Roger Chin said the government had spent a lot of money on the service, but it has yet to catch on with the public.

“Basically, the government has given a sizeable grant to SLS to carry out the mediation service, but we find the public really do not know much about this.

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“And so, we have simplified all the jargon as best as we can to inform the public about this free service provided by the government and carried out by SLS in Sabah,” he said in a statement here.

According to Chin, SLS had been appointed by the federal government to provide free mediation through its trained mediators to the public with immediate effect.

He said it was in line with the Temporary Measures for Reducing the Impact of Coronavirus Diseases 2019 (Covid-19) Act, which came into force on Oct 23, and aims to benefit individuals and companies that are economically affected by the pandemic.

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“Mediation through the PMC-19 is only available for disputes valued at a sum not exceeding RM300,000 between two contracting parties in respect of any inability to perform contractual obligations arising from any of the contracts covered.

“The government will bear the cost of mediation services for individuals under the B40 and M40 categories as well as for micro enterprises and Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs),” he said.

Chin also said that parties who are not eligible for the subsidy may still go through the mediation process under the PMC-19 at a prescribed payment rate of RM1,000 per party, while bankrupts or companies that have been wound up may be required to obtain approval from the director of the Department of Insolvency for the mediation service.

He said members of the public are encouraged to go to the official website at www.pmc19.gov.my for further information on the services provided, how to obtain such services as well as to check their eligibility for subsidised mediation.