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Gerakan welcomes the setting up of a Legal Aid Foundation (LAF) to provide aid to those in need of legal representation, saying that every citizen should be protected by the law.

Gerakan deputy secretary-general Liang Teck Meng said today that the poor should not be deprived of legal representation, just because he or she did not have the financial means.

Liang hoped the LAF would encourage more people to seek legal redress and justice.

He said Article 10 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) clearly stated that "everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him."

"We commend and thank the government and the Bar Council for the initiative to set up LAF as legal rights is part of human rights," said Liang, adding that justice of law should be the top priority.

Liang also hoped that the private sector, especially corporate companies and the civil society, would contribute funds to the LAF.

Bar Council chairman Ragunath Kesavan said on Thursday that the Prime Minister was keen on the LAF which was now in the final stages of being established.

He said the LAF would serve more people, including providing voluntary legal services at police stations, helping those in remand, conducting bail applications and appeals, with lawyers being paid a nominal fee.

"The constitutional right to legal representation is meaningless if one cannot access it due to lack of means," he said at a press conference at the 15th Malaysian Law Conference.

Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the Government was ready to pump in RM5mil into the LAF.

Press statement by Gerakan deputy secretary-general and MP for Simpang Renggam, Liang Teck Meng