KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysia Mediation Centre (MMC) under the Legal Aid Department is being mulled to strengthen out-of-court dispute resolutions, reduce case backlogs and lower legal costs for the public.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (pic), said the move would help streamline mediation systems administered separately by various ministries and agencies through their respective tribunals.
She said a Cabinet paper will be tabled soon to seek approval for a more structured framework, including mediator registration and standardised training modules under the National Legal Academy of the Prime Minister’s Department’s Legal Affairs Division.
“The advantage of mediation is that it costs less than normal court proceedings. In Islam, it is akin to the concept of ‘sulh’, a consensus or reconciliation that restores peace.
“This approach is what we want to promote, so disputes can be resolved at the MMC without having to go to court,” she said after delivering a keynote address at the Commonwealth Legal Education Association conference here yesterday, Bernama reported.
“Not everyone can afford to go to court or consult a lawyer. Even a letter of demand can cost between RM300 and RM500.
“It is expensive, even for those in the M40 group like young entrepreneurs who often fall in between... neither eligible for aid nor able to afford high legal fees,” she said.
The proposed MMC would initially operate in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, with mediation services also to be made available online to reduce logistical costs.
Azalina said the move formed part of a broader effort to improve access to justice in line with current economic challenges, noting that court processes also incurred additional travel and fuel costs.
