The 1Malaysia People’s Fund will bear the legal costs of consumers who are awarded their claims by Malaysian?Consumer Claims Tribunal but who are being challenged by the traders or suppliers concerned at the High Court.
Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister, Ismail?Sabri Yaakob, said the fund, which was being set up with the cooperation of the Bar Council and Bank Kerjasama Rakyat Malaysia (Bank Rakyat), would start with an allocation of RM10,000.
The money was from Bank Rakyat and the Malaysian Companies Commission (MCC), he told reporters after witnessing the signing of the memorandum by the three parties concerned.
The Bar Council was represented by its president, K. Ragunath, Bank Rakyat?by its managing director, Kamaruzaman Che Mat, and the ministry by its Deputy Secretary-General, Daud Tahir.
Ismail said the fund was to assist?consumers who had to bear high legal costs of between RM10,000 and RM30,000?when an application for a judicial review was filed by the supplier of the goods or services concerned.
“[C]onsumers who are less able to?pay will get legal aid right up to the High Court, Appeals Court and if?necessary even up to the Federal Court by merely paying RM5,” he added.
Under the programme, the Bar Council will provide free legal services and?Bank Rakyat will pay disbursement fees to the Bar Council for each case, he said.
He said the move was taken as about 130 cases of the 56,415 cases filed with?the tribunal have been taken to the High Court for a judicial review.
– Bernama
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