Undergraduates to attend legal aid sessions

KUALA LUMPUR: Undergraduates at University of Malaya’s (UM) law faculty will be allowed to attend and observe legal aid sessions conducted by the Legal Aid Department at its offices throughout the country.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, when announcing this, said the Legal Aid Department and the law faculty would establish a collaboration programme to allow undergraduates involved in the University Legal Aid Clinic (KBGUM) to attend the legal aid sessions.

“Through this collaboration, the undergraduates will be taught the proper procedures to be observed when giving legal advice to members of the public.

“I hope similar model can be adopted for future collaborations with other universities which have legal clinics in Malaysia, and this will be an opportunity for them (undergraduates) to be exposed to real life situations and thus strengthen their theoretical and practical knowledge of the law,” she said in her speech at the launch of KBGUM at UM yesterday.

Also present were Legal Aid Department Director General Datuk Haini Hassan and UM Acting Vice-Chancellor Datuk Dr Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud.

KBGUM, a legal aid clinic based at the UM law faculty, provides free and basic legal advice to members of the community. It is staffed by law students under the supervision of legal practitioners.

It was established in 2014 and has 30 student advisers and 10 support team members at any one time. - Bernama