KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Bar and the Indonesian embassy are collaborating to give Indonesians in Malaysia greater access to legal representation.
Malaysian Bar president Mohamad Ezri Abdrul Wahab said the pilot of the Indonesian Citizens' Legal Aid Scheme (I-Clas) would run throughout next year.
He said it would initially operate through three legal aid centres in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Perak, before being expanded to other states.
"I-Clas essentially aims to provide Indonesian nationals in Malaysia with access to legal aid in criminal, immigration, labour, family, syariah and such other areas of law that the legal aid centres are able to render advice.
"In addition, the scheme introduces outreach programmes in an effort to educate the Indonesian community on Malaysian laws and their rights there under," he said in a statement.
He said the Malaysian Bar would a sign an agreement with the Indonesian embassy to formalise the collaboration and establish sustainable funding.
"This innovative framework ensures that pro bono lawyers are not burdened with the financial responsibilities of handling critical cases, such as those involving criminal and immigration matters.
"By collectively funding the scheme, the Bar enables lawyers to focus on delivering justice without the additional strain of covering operational costs, thereby delivering on its commitment to ensure justice for all."
He praised the Indonesian embassy for its proactive role in enhancing access to justice for its nationals.