THE government will hold an engagement session with stakeholders to better improve legal aid services for criminal cases and the proposal to enact a special law to provide free legal aid to the people.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Legal and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said said the engagement session will cover the direction of legal aid services, to get input on policies related to the drafting of the public defender’s act and look into the need to create a public defender’s office.

“We hope to gather views from participants on several policy issues related to the appropriateness of creating a special act for legal aid services for criminal cases in Malaysia.

“The government places great emphasis on continuous engagements with all stakeholders to ensure an effective system in providing legal aid services to Malaysians in need,” she said in a statement today.

A workshop on legal aid services for criminal cases in Malaysia is being held today and tomorrow with the co-operation of the Legal Aid Department, the National Legal Aid Foundation and the Malaysian Bar.

According to Azalina, the existing legal aid services need to be strengthened to improve quality and access to justice, especially for the B40 group.

“Hence, legal aid and advisory services in criminal cases should be easily accessible to any Malaysian citizen as well as foreign national children at the time of arrest, remand, bail application, and mitigation by lawyers,” she said.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the government was working towards legislation including legal aid services when he tabled Budget 2023 in February. – Bernama, April 11, 2023.