Kota Kinabalu: The Legal Aid Department (JBG) has handled 476 cases in Sabah, comprising 315 civil cases and 161 Syariah cases, providing access to legal assistance for those in need.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said the service was available to Malaysian citizens with an annual income of below RM50,000.
He said the government had allocated RM42.3 million to JBG for 2026 to improve access to justice and legal protection, with a further RM250,000 earmarked for panel lawyers to support the provision of legal aid services to the public.
He said greater efforts were needed to disseminate information about the service, particularly among rural communities who might not be aware of the Government’s legal aid facilities.
“I urge all community leaders present to help disseminate this information in their respective villages.
“Sometimes, residents facing legal problems are unaware of the existence of the Legal Aid Department, even though they can seek assistance if they meet the eligibility requirements,” he said when officiating at the Sabah-level JBG Discourse Programme themed ‘Bringing the Distant Closer, Reaching Out to Those in Need’ at Wisma Wanita here Thursday.
Mustapha said cases handled by JBG included maintenance claims, divorce proceedings and enforcement of court orders involving family matters.
Civil cases, meanwhile, covered matters relating to padi cultivation, small estate distribution, road accidents, hire purchase agreements, tenancy and consumer claims.
He said understanding the scope of JBG’s services was important to ensure the public knew the types of legal issues for which assistance could be sought from the department.
Mustapha said JBG had also provided two vehicles for Sabah under its “Justice on Wheels” initiative to bring legal services closer to the community.
A total of 85 outreach programmes had been conducted under the initiative so far this year, he added.
Mustapha said efforts to expand access to legal aid were important to ensure that Sabahans, particularly those from lower-income groups, were not left behind in obtaining legal representation and protection.
“I hope these efforts can be further expanded so that people from all walks of life have the opportunity to understand their rights, responsibilities and the channels of assistance available to them,” he said.
JBG Director-General Mohd Radhi Abas, meanwhile, stressed that access to justice was a key pillar of the country’s legal and institutional reform agenda.
He said JBG continued to strengthen its civil and Syariah legal aid services, public defence services and the Pusat Mediasi Madani (PMM) as alternative dispute resolution mechanisms that were more accessible, faster and cost-effective.
The discourse also featured forum sessions and briefings on the expansion of civil and Syariah legal aid jurisdictions, PMM, public defence, the handling of investigations involving child victims and the role of legal companions.
These sessions involved various government agencies and relevant institutions.
Mohd Radhi said JBG remained committed to strengthening strategic cooperation with various parties to ensure its legal aid services remained inclusive, accessible and responsive to the needs of the community, particularly in Sabah.
