ATTACHMENT IN LEGAL AID CENTRE KUALA LUMPUR
First week of attachment in Legal Aid Centre Kuala Lumpur, we went to to observe the ‘dock brief’ programme in . The chambees guided us to conduct interview with the OKT and showed us the way of doing mitigation. That was the first time I got the chance to talk to OKT and I realised they were not as “scary” as I thought.
Duta Court
The time been spent In Duta Court was mostly on “waiting and waiting” because the magistrate was always late! Back to the dock brief programme, I personally think that the mitigation was not took serious enough because the OKT will only be interviewed right before the case was brought before the magistrate. Some more, only simple particulars were taken as mediation factors. The chambees may even know nothing about the OKT, or whether they were telling the truth or not.
However, it was understandable that that may be already the best the LAC and the chambees can help the OKT under the poor system in
Malaysia . Did this kind of mitigation under dock brief programme really generate some effect? I doubted. Anyway, that was a good exposure.
Legal Aid Clinic Programme is a usual one. We got the chances of witnessing the poors and needies to seek for legal advice and legal assistance due to employment matters, criminal cases, land matters, and most of them, family law cases.
I always know that the society embodies the poors that cannot afford the advocacy fees, as well as the court’s charges. However, until I really met those walk-in clients of LAC, only then I felt there are so many more people who cannot afford but need the legal advise so badly. Allow me to conclude that ‘legal system is a game which only allows the rich and affordable persons.’ This statement contains no biases, but full of sadness. It seems like, there are conditions in ‘justice’, which is wealth.
We proceeded to Tenaganita in the first 3 days of the second week. It was an amazing exposure because that was the first time I met and interacted with the migrant workers. I was so pity of them because they were mistreated and underpaid, some more they were cheated to pay the amount of RM8000 — RM15000 each just to be employed in
Malaysia !!
Looking at them, some did not even have a proper job when they reached
Malaysia . A Bangladeshi told us that he was unemployed after he reached here, therefore he had no single cent with him. He was forced to live under a pedestrian bridge for months! My goodness! What is the wrong with Malaysian Government! What is the wrong with the system!!
They were good persons and all they wanted was to have a better fortune of being employed in
Malaysia , leaving the wives and children behind in the home country. At the end, they got nothing but ill-treatment from Malaysian employers. I felt so sorry for them, meanwhile felt embarrassed because I am one of the citizens of this uncivilized country.
Being in Tenaganita was the NGO which indicated the most impression to me. I was stunned when I noticed their wretched situation, especially the case which involved FELDA workers.
I was understood that these workers unfortunately could not get any assistance from Tenaganita because they were working with a governmental plantation organization, the NGOs could not help because they were lack of authorities. Unless and until the Bangladeshi Government (the Embassy) willing to step out and negotiates with Malaysian Government, the workers are totally on their own! So so… sad!
The day-3 in Tenaganita, I went to Immigration Department in Putrajaya to see the way memo-check-out of migrant workers done. That was actually an easy documentation process but they took the whole day to process it! I mean the whole day from
10am until
6pm ! The low efficiency of governmental services made me non-stop cursing the low performance and service system. Shit!!
In the last week of attachment, there was nothing much surprising. We paid a visit to Sisters in Islam (SIS) and AWAM in a quite rushing manner, and we went to the unfriendly Amanah Raya.
At the end of the day of Friday, we did a tea party in LAC. A warm and enjoyable party. The time being spent in LAC is memorable. I learnt a lot, especially the ugly sides of the society, the cruelness of reality, the unfortunate and injustice of the world…
Finally the attachment was done. Hmm, waiting for the new semester to start. The very final year of uni life. Good luck pals.
