PETALING JAYA: The government owes lawyers helping the poor through the National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK) about RM10 million, an opposition MP claimed in the Dewan Rakyat today.
In a supplementary question to the Prime Minister’s Department, Takiyuddin Hassan (PN-Kota Bharu) asked whether lawyers who help the poor under the proposed Public Defenders Act will be fairly compensated or have their payments delayed.
“Malaysia already has a legal aid scheme, which is the YBGK, that has been around since 2010. Will there be an overlap in the services of YBGK and the lawyers serving the public under the Act?
“Second, can the government guarantee that there will be enough funds to compensate these lawyers once it (the Act) comes into effect?
“Two days ago, a Bar Council meeting revealed that there is more than RM10 million in delayed payments to YBGK. This means these lawyers who spend their time (providing legal aid to) the poor are not being paid,” he said.
In her reply, law and institutional reform minister Othman Said said YBGK is a company limited by guarantee, and she has not received any complaints about delayed payment from the foundation.
However, she said unlike YBGK, the new Act will ensure lawyers helping the poor charged with criminal activities will receive “fair compensation”.
On whether the foundation will overlap with the Public Defenders Act, Azalina said there are other public legal aid services, including the government’s legal aid department, the Bar Council’s legal aid centre, YBGK and legal clinics organised by public universities such as Universiti Malaya.
“I cannot say what will happen to YBGK, we have not made a policy decision on whether or not it will be absorbed or be (scrapped), I can’t answer this question yet,” she said. - FMT
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