KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia – The Chief Judge of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak, Justice Tan Sri Richard Malanjum, has expressed his wish to set up a special court for tourists in Sabah.
In his speech at the opening of Legal Year 2015 at the Kota Kinabalu Courthouse yesterday, he said tourism was one of the main sources of revenue for Sabah and Sarawak.
Last year alone, he said 34 tourists had been charged in Sarawak and four in Sabahโs Magistrateโs courts for various criminal charges.
However, he said that there were no civil claims filed by any tourists, hence it was time that the legal fraternity in Sabah and Sarawak made the move in order to create awareness among tourists.
โA lot of tourists get into accidents, but they go off without making any claims as they are afraid of delays,โ he said, adding that a tourist court should be set up so that during their short stay in the state, there would be no reason for them not to take legal actions if necessary, in Sabahโs courts.
During his speech, Richard also said that the judiciary had continued its commitment to make the justice system in Malaysia more transparent and accessible for all.
โOne of the measures that has been taken to engage with the public is ensuring that court judgements are accessible and free of charge to all, including those who are not parties to the court proceedings,โ he said.
Richard added that the Sabah High Court was currently in the process of improving and enhancing their website to give more impact to online visitors, and a new website would be ready by June.