KUALA KANGSAR: Many are still unaware of the existence of the Legal Aid Bureau, although it was set up more than 30 years ago.

The bureau provides free legal advice and services to those earning less than RM30,000 a year.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, said to promote the existence of the service, the legal division of the department had started to hold nationwide meet-the-client sessions four times a year. Such meetings have been running for the last five years.

During the sessions, the public could enquire about the bureau's services and seek information from the Insolvency Department on matters relating to bankruptcy.

"You just have to ask. The bureau can even act as mediator in certain cases, without the cases having to go to the courts," he said after closing a meet-the-client session in Sauk near here on Saturday.

Nazri, who is defending the Padang Rengas parliamentary seat, said statistics showed that less than one per cent of the almost-165,000 population in Kuala Kangsar had sought legal aid services.

source: The New Straits Times