Ahmad Nazdri (fourth left), Norazmi on his right and others pose with the brand-new JoW vehicle after the launch of the programme.
KUCHING (May 21): The government has launched the ‘Justice On Wheels’ (JoW) in Sarawak – a mobile legal clinic programme that aims to facilitate better access to legal aid, services, information and benefits for the people in the rural areas.
Sarawak Federal Secretary Datuk Ahmad Nadzri Mohd Hassan said there are five JoW programmes in Sarawak to be implemented from this June until October.
“The movement of JoW Sarawak will cover Sri Aman, Lingga, Mukah and Lundu-Sematan areas, with the objective of providing advisory services to the public in these selected locations.
“Under this programme, the public can get advice from Legal Aid Department (JBG) officers on duty.
“The process of obtaining advice during the programme is the same as in the legal clinic in the public halls, which have been held before,” he said in his speech for the launch of JoW Sarawak 2024 at Pustaka Sarawak in Petra Jaya here yesterday.
The event marked the third JoW series in the country, after the launches in Sabah on Jan 25 this year, and in Putrajaya on April 23.
“The JoW programme is the commitment of the Madani Government in providing access to justice for every layer of society, regardless of where they are.
“This means that this programme should benefit those living in the rural areas in terms of obtaining legal aid and services provided by the JBG,” said Ahmad Nadzri.
Adding on, he said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Finance Minister, had on Oct 13 last year highlighted the government’s commitment and determination in prioritising the role of the JBG in defending the rights of the disadvantaged groups towards achieving fair justice.
“Various reforms have been undertaken to promote legal aid services, aiming to spread public knowledge and awareness of the facilities provided by the government.
“This is crucial towards ensuring that no one is excluded from a fair legal process due to financial constraints or a lack of awareness of what the government has made available over the past 50 years,” said Ahmad Nadzri.
Legal Aid Department director-general Datuk Norazmi Mohd Narawi was also present yesterday.