KOTA KINABALU: Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjum hopes that the process of gazetting the role of Justices of Peace (JPs) as Second Class Magistrate will be speeded up.
He disclosed that up to now this JPs’ function has yet to be gazetted although names of the shortlisted JPs have already been submitted to the State Government for consideration to be appointed as Second Class Magistrate.
“What we are still looking very hard at the actual power of JPs as Second Class Magistrate.
“In fact, it was already sent to the State Government and is now in the hands of the State-Attorney General (SAG) and we are saying just have it gazetted so that we can get that function,” he said after witnessing the swearing-in ceremony of seven newly appointed JPs before him at the High Court Complex here yesterday.
The new JPs are former Sandakan member of parliament Datuk Lau Ngan Siew, former president of Majlis Perbandaran Kota Kinabalu (MPKK) Datuk Stanislaus Yee Fong Chun, syarie lawyer Ruvia Awang, former Penampang District Officer Stephen Laison Sondoh, laywer Mohamad Alamin, The New Sabah Times general manager Wong Yun Lung @ Anthony Wong, and Anthony Linggian.
Malanjum also hoped that Majaps would do a follow-up so that the gazetting of the JPs’ judicial power can be materialized very soon.
He pointed out that even though there was no requirement under the law to gazette the function of the JPs as Second Class Magistrate, it was recognition to the world and that people would know the function of the JPs clearly.
He said that as the JPs’ function was not gazetted, they were reluctant to hear small cases such as traffic offences and remand application.
He said at certain districts in Sabah such as in Pensiangan and Ranau, there are no JPs at all.
Malanjum also congratulated the new JPs, stating that the award they received is well known and even JPs in Hong Kong received a lot of respect.
Thus, he said there is a need for them to maintain the status of the award.
He also described the function of JPs in Sabah as very unique as JPs here have judicial power as Second Class Magistrate if compared with the other states in the country who do not have such a function.
“So you have to protect it otherwise you may lose it,” said Malanjum who also encouraged those JPs who are still not registered with Majaps to do so.
Earlier, Majap deputy president Datuk Lawrence Thien pointed out that there are about 300 JPs in Sabah, and 160 of them are members of Majaps.
When asked to respond to the incident where the magistrates’ signatures had been forged to approve late birth registrations early this year, Malanjum said they had enhanced the security.
“We have improved the security … we are using digital signature. It is impossible now to fake the digital signatures, so nobody can play around,” he said.
He also pointed out that the implementation of the mobile court since 2007 had helped the kampong folks a lot, especially in the rural areas.
During the mobile court hearing, Malanjum said they brought together with them the deputy director of Land and Surveys Department or any senior officers to deal with land issues and the mobile court would do a follow-up on what action the department had taken, he said, adding that there were two sittings in a month which they had done in Kudat, Sandakan and other districts in the State.
He also encouraged JPs to join them in the coming mobile court hearing on April 21, in Sook to render their service.
He also pointed out that the mobile court is not only meant for endorsement of birth certificate but also involved in many issues.
During the mobile court sitting, Malanjum also said they also took the opportunity to give medical service as they also brought with them a doctor apart from distributing used clothes to the kampung folks.
He also pointed out that during the mobile court sitting in Pensiangan, they discovered that the students in remote areas did not have English books and the teachers were relying on what they had learnt to teach.