By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, May 9: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sarawak State Leadership Council (MPN) chairman Roland Engan calls for all Sarawak native customs to be codified immediately and to be improved according to the context of using customs to align with the development of the modern world.
He asserted the Sarawak government should prioritise this matter in reforming the Native Courts apart from establishing a Bumiputera Court Legal Aid Foundation to assist people, provide special allowances for community and tribal leaders who act as judges, and special academies to recognise traditional knowledge experts and document traditional knowledge in collaboration with Sarawak Biodiversity Centre.
In addition, he also highlighted the establishment of commissions important to this reformation such as Sarawak Bumiputera Customary Commission, the Commission for the Appointment of Community Leaders and Tribal Leaders, and the Special Judicial Commission for the Bumiputera Customary Court (Native Courts) apart from improving the Bumiputera Customary Court rules and addition of judges and officials.
Roland said this in a statement today, in response to Deputy Minister in the Sarawak’s Premier Department (Native Law and Custom) Datuk Jefferson Jamit Unyat’s call for expedited reconfirmation of the Bumiputera Customary Court during the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) sitting yesterday (May 8).
According to Roland, the Sarawak government has appointed a consultant to conduct a study and make recommendations to improve the court before taking the next step of involving all stakeholders to examine the results of the study and the recommendations for improvement, if any.
“Cases involving customary land disputes are increasing in the Bumiputera Customary Court in Sarawak. The parties and their lawyers should not be blamed when the Court lacks a Judge to hear and decide the case,” said Roland. — DayakDaily
