KUALA LUMPUR: Attorney-General Tommy Thomas today called for a new law to govern legal aid for the poor and marginalised, and promised to support the bill in Parliament.
Thomas said the Bar Council could come up with a draft of the bill by taking into account recent developments.
“I think it will get immense support in Parliament,” he said when officiating the new centre for the Bar Council’s Legal Aid Centre here.
Malaysian Bar president Abdul Fareed Abdul Gafoor welcomed the move, saying a draft for such a bill had already been prepared in 2008 but was shelved when the National Legal Aid Foundation was formed.
Currently, the foundation receives about RM5 million in annual government grants, out of which legal fees are paid to lawyers who represent the poor in court.
Thomas said the foundation was a good example of the collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Fareed said a law on legal aid would ensure a more systematic funding.
“It will also identify the scope of services we want to provide.”
In his speech earlier, Fareed said the Bar has long lobbied for a comprehensive legal aid scheme to help migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and stateless persons. - FMT
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