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The Ad Hoc Committee on National Legal Aid Foundation (“NLAF Committee”) was set up in early 2010 to:

(1)    lobby the government for the setting up of the National Legal Aid Foundation (“NLAF”); and
(2)    assist the government in developing the framework and standard operating procedures for NLAF.

The NLAF Committee is chaired by the President of the Malaysian Bar, Ragunath Kesavan, and has nine members.

The proposal for the setting up of NLAF was first submitted to the government in 2009 and was revisited in January 2010 when the Bar Council Office Bearers’ made a courtesy call on the Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak.  The Prime Minister shared the concern of the Bar that too many persons were unrepresented in criminal trials and agreed in principle to the setting up of NLAF.

NLAF, once established, will be an independent body that administers funds given for legal aid in the country.  Its objectives are, amongst others, to fund the provision of legal aid, enhance services for lawyers to represent those needing legal representation, determine the guidelines for the administration of the national legal aid scheme, and initiate and carry out educational programmes designed to promote understanding amongst members of the public of their rights and duties under the laws of Malaysia.

NLAF will focus on obtaining representation for persons caught in the criminal justice system – from the point of arrest to court hearings.  Lawyers who sign up to handle NLAF cases will be paid.

From January 2010 to date, the NLAF Committee has attended numerous meetings with representatives from the Attorney General’s Chambers, Ministry of Finance, Bank Negara Malaysia and Jabatan Bantuan Guaman to discuss the establishment, funding and administration of NLAF.  It is hoped that NLAF will be launched within the next few months.

Ragunath Kesavan
Chairperson
Ad Hoc Committee on National Legal Aid Foundation

The Executive Officer for NLAF Committee, Adilah Ariffin, can be contacted by telephone at 03-2034 2071 or 03-2031 3003 ext 160, or by email at adilah@malaysianbar.org.my.

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(1)    Ragunath Kesavan (Chairperson)

Members:

(2)    Fadiah Nadwa binti Fikri
(3)    Harleen Kaur a/p Tarjeet Singh
(4)    Komathi Arunasalam
(5)    Rajen Devaraj
(6)    Rajpal Singh a/l Mukhtiar Singh
(7)    Ravi Nekoo
(8)    Ravinder Singh Dhalliwal
(9)    Stephanie Bastian