PENAMPANG, Jan 25 — Legal literacy and legal awareness programmes should be expanded, especially to rural residents, to make them better understand the law and their legal rights so that they do not easily fall victim to fraud, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
She expressed worry upon hearing of rural residents falling victim to fraud due to lack of knowledge.
"Sometimes they become victims of circumstances like online scammers, sexual offences against children; the legal awareness programmes in rural areas need to be increased," Azalina said.
She was speaking to the press after launching the 'Justice On Wheels' Van, an initiative by the Legal Aid Department, at Dewan Gawir, Kampung Madsiang today.
Also present was Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick, who is the Penampang MP cum the Kadamaian state assemblyman.
Azalina said the Justice On Wheels van service by the Legal Aid Department was set up, among others, to provide legal services in family, civil and criminal cases to rural residents.
The mobile legal aid service was introduced to facilitate rural residents in filing their legal cases, and she will look into ways to assist residents in areas where Justice On Wheels' vans could not reach, with no access to telecommunication services.
Assistance and cooperation from the elected representatives in the affected areas are also important to facilitate the implementation of the law awareness campaign.
"There is no point having laws, but the people do not feel the advantages of the law. They want their rights but do not know where to go," Azalina said.
Last year, the Federal government approved a RM1 million allocation to the Legal Aid Department to purchase three vans as mobile legal clinics, which were then modified with legal service equipment for the convenience of the people in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak.
— Bernama
