Kota Kinabalu: The government is planning to expand its mobile justice initiatives with additional funding requests for Mobile Court facilities and specialised Children’s Information Vans, as part of broader reforms to address Malaysia’s legal access challenges.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said announced the expansion plans during the Justice on Wheels programme in Putatan, Tuesday.
She said they will seek additional allocations from the Prime Minister cum Finance Minister to extend mobile legal services across Sabah and Peninsula Malaysia.
The announcement comes as the government prepares to table the Legal Aid and Public Defender Bill 2025, which will replace the 54-year-old Legal Aid Act 1971 that has remained unchanged since its inception.
The new legislation incorporates modern approaches that account for technological advances in the country’s legal systems.
Azalina acknowledged a critical challenge facing Malaysia’s legal landscape, namely, an insufficient number of professional lawyers relative to the population, particularly affecting Sabah and Sarawak.
This shortage extends even to private legal practitioners across the Peninsula.
“The number of legal professionals in Malaysia, including Sabah and Sarawak, is still inadequate compared to our population. Even private legal professionals are insufficient,” she said, pointing out why government intervention through mobile legal services is essential.
The government has already invested in the mobile justice initiative through the 2023 Budget, approving the acquisition of three specially modified Justice on Wheels vans designed to meet the Legal Aid Department’s operational requirements.
The programme has shown momentum, with 28 Justice on Wheels programs implemented nationwide in 2024, including five districts in Sabah.
This year, the State has hosted six programs with specific deployment dates, namely, Sandakan (February 15), Tawau (February 23), Lahad Datu (February 24), Beaufort (July 1), Tuaran (August 20) and Putatan on Tuesday.
Beyond providing legal assistance, Azalina pointed out the program’s role in preventive legal education.
She advised the people to utilise platforms like Justice on Wheels to understand legal matters before escalating issues to police reports or court filings.
“Many problems can be resolved because sometimes, due to lack of understanding about their rights, people immediately want to make police reports or file court cases,” Azalina said, pointing out how legal literacy can reduce unnecessary litigation.
The upcoming Legal Aid and Public Defender Bill 2025 is a comprehensive overhaul of Malaysia’s legal aid framework, incorporating technological considerations that were absent from the original 1971 legislation.
The bill aims to create a more accessible and efficient legal support system for Malaysians, particularly those in underserved communities.
The mobile courts and children’s information vans represent practical implementations of this modernisation effort, bringing legal services directly to communities that might otherwise struggle to access traditional court systems.
The expansion of mobile legal services reflects the government’s recognition that equal access to justice requires innovative delivery methods, particularly in a country with diverse geographical challenges like Malaysia.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said announced the expansion plans during the Justice on Wheels programme in Putatan, Tuesday.
She said they will seek additional allocations from the Prime Minister cum Finance Minister to extend mobile legal services across Sabah and Peninsula Malaysia.
The announcement comes as the government prepares to table the Legal Aid and Public Defender Bill 2025, which will replace the 54-year-old Legal Aid Act 1971 that has remained unchanged since its inception.
The new legislation incorporates modern approaches that account for technological advances in the country’s legal systems.
Azalina acknowledged a critical challenge facing Malaysia’s legal landscape, namely, an insufficient number of professional lawyers relative to the population, particularly affecting Sabah and Sarawak.
This shortage extends even to private legal practitioners across the Peninsula.
“The number of legal professionals in Malaysia, including Sabah and Sarawak, is still inadequate compared to our population. Even private legal professionals are insufficient,” she said, pointing out why government intervention through mobile legal services is essential.
The government has already invested in the mobile justice initiative through the 2023 Budget, approving the acquisition of three specially modified Justice on Wheels vans designed to meet the Legal Aid Department’s operational requirements.
The programme has shown momentum, with 28 Justice on Wheels programs implemented nationwide in 2024, including five districts in Sabah.
This year, the State has hosted six programs with specific deployment dates, namely, Sandakan (February 15), Tawau (February 23), Lahad Datu (February 24), Beaufort (July 1), Tuaran (August 20) and Putatan on Tuesday.
Beyond providing legal assistance, Azalina pointed out the program’s role in preventive legal education.
She advised the people to utilise platforms like Justice on Wheels to understand legal matters before escalating issues to police reports or court filings.
“Many problems can be resolved because sometimes, due to lack of understanding about their rights, people immediately want to make police reports or file court cases,” Azalina said, pointing out how legal literacy can reduce unnecessary litigation.
The upcoming Legal Aid and Public Defender Bill 2025 is a comprehensive overhaul of Malaysia’s legal aid framework, incorporating technological considerations that were absent from the original 1971 legislation.
The bill aims to create a more accessible and efficient legal support system for Malaysians, particularly those in underserved communities.
The mobile courts and children’s information vans represent practical implementations of this modernisation effort, bringing legal services directly to communities that might otherwise struggle to access traditional court systems.
The expansion of mobile legal services reflects the government’s recognition that equal access to justice requires innovative delivery methods, particularly in a country with diverse geographical challenges like Malaysia.
