KUCHING, Nov 28 ― Two new Bills would be tabled at the next State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting, in May next year, to establish the Institute of Adat Sarawak and to elevate the Native Courts of Sarawak, said Datuk Seri John Sikie Tayai. In this regard, the Minister in Sarawak Premier’s Department said the Bill to establish Institute of Adat Sarawak would be tabled under the amendment to the Majlis Adat Istiadat Sarawak (Mais) Ordinance 1977. “Since its establishment 46 years ago, the Majlis Adat Istiadat Sarawak has no proper agency such as a department or an institution to support it. In view of these challenges, the ‘Majlis’ (Council) plans to establish a supporting agency to assist in discharging its duties and functions. “This proposal would be implemented through the amendment to the Majlis Adat Istiadat Sarawak Ordinance 1977. Barring any untoward event, the Bill may be tabled next year,” he said in his ministerial winding-up speech in DUN yesterday. On the transformation of the Native Courts, he said its master plan had been duly considered and approved by the Sarawak Cabinet for implementation. “Based on the recommendations in the master plan, the current Native Courts will be restructured and elevated from being just a unit under the Premier’s Department to be a full-fledged judiciary, which is independent and autonomous. “The other major change would involve the hierarchy and organisational structure of the current native court system. In terms of court hierarchy, the recommendation is to restructure our current six-layer court to a four-layer structure comprising the Native Magistrates Court and the Native High Court. The Native High Court would comprise three layers; namely the Native High Court, Native Court of Appeal and Native Supreme Court,” he said. He said for these changes to take effect, the recommendation in the master plan would be for the government to repeal the current Native Courts Ordinance 1992 and Native Courts Rules 1993, and to enact a new Native Courts Ordinance and new Native Courts Rules. “The functions, powers and jurisdiction of the new Native Courts will be spelled out in the new Native Courts Bill which will be tabled at this Dewan. At this juncture, our target is to table the New Native Court Bill during the next sitting of this august House,” he said. On another matter, he said Mais had conducted a round-table discussion with the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church to resolve the issue involving ‘Adat Deya Tarih Pasid’ practised by most Bidayuh communities. He said there were issues faced by some Bidayuh communities with regard to the rights of burial of the dead in the village or church cemetery, since most of the cemeteries in the Bidayuh communities are administered by the ‘kampung’ (village) church committee. Based on the old ‘adat’ (customs) practised by most Bidayuh groups, every Bidayuh has the right to be buried in the cemetery of his or her ancestral ‘kampung’, according to ‘Adat Deya Tarih Pasid’. “The place where his or her ancestors’ umbilical cords were buried is regarded as the ancestral ‘kampung’ of every Bidayuh. However, now, the authority to decide the right of burial is in the hands of ‘kampung’ church committee, which overrides the authority of the Ketua Kampung and ‘Adat Deya Tarih Pasid’. “According to the current practice, only members of the church are entitled to be buried in the kampung or church cemetery. Otherwise, they are not entitled to be buried in the ‘kampung’ or church cemetery. “As such, Adat Deya Tarih Pasid is no longer relevant for the regulation of burial of the dead. This has caused a lot of burial problems and anxiety in some Bidayuh communities, bearing in mind the period for managing and arranging the burial of the dead is very short,” he said. Sikie also said the ‘Adat Deya Tarih Pasid’ was quite similar to ‘Adat Temuni’ (Umbilical Cord Custom) in some other native communities, which states that a person has the right to be buried in the land where his/her ‘temuni’ (umbilical cord) was buried, i.e. place of birth. On the discussion to resuscitate Adat Deya Tarih Pasid, he said the Archbishop of the Catholic Church stated in principle that if the land in which the cemetery was situated was registered in the name of the Archbishop, then only members of the Catholic Church could be buried in that cemetery. If the land was not registered under the Archbishop’s name, he said it was discussed that the rights to be buried in the cemetery would be decided by the village security and development committee (JKKK) and the ‘kampung’ church committee. “With regard to the Anglican Church, the Church’s representative stated the issues could have arisen due to certain approach or stand taken by the JKKK and ‘kampung’ church Committee. The Anglican Church seemed to prefer that JKKK and the church committee would decide on the rights of burial in the kampung cemetery,” he said. Sikie added as there had been no clear or definite decision made and endorsed in writing by the parties involved following the discussion, this issue was still far from settled and more follow-up discussions would be arranged. ― Borneo Post  

KUCHING, 22 Mei: Mahkamah Bumiputera Sarawak akan menjalani proses penstrukturan semula yang melibatkan penggubalan Rang Undang-Undang (RUU) baharu dan pindaan kepada ordinan sedia ada. Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Premier Sarawak (Undang-Undang dan Adat Bumiputera) Datuk Jefferson Jamit Unyat berkata, bagi membolehkan penstrukturan semula dilakukan, Ordinan Mahkamah Bumiputera 1992 sedia ada perlu dimansuhkan dan digantikan dengan Ordinan Mahkamah Bumiputera yang baharu. “Oleh itu, satu RUU Mahkamah Bumiputera atau new Native Courts Bill akan dirangka dan dibentangkan di Dewan Undangan Negeri yang akan datang. “Selain itu, new Native Courts Judges Appointment Council and Native Courts Judges Remuneration Bill juga akan dirangka dan dibentangkan dalam Dewan yang mulia ini nanti. “Pada masa sama, pindaan perlu dibuat ke atas Ordinan Majlis Adat Istiadat Sarawak 1977,” katanya. Beliau berkata demikian bagi menjawab pertanyaan Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Bukit Semuja, John Ilus mengenai perkembangan terkini kajian naik taraf status Mahkamah Bumiputera Sarawak dan implikasinya terhadap pentadbiran serta penguatkuasaan Undang-Undang Adat Bumiputera secara keseluruhannya apabila dikuatkuasakan nanti. Menurutnya, penstrukturan semula Mahkamah Bumiputera Sarawak di bawah RUU baharu kelak melibatkan perubahan dalam struktur pentadbiran dan bidang kuasa mahkamah. Mengulas lanjut, Jefferson berkata, antara implikasi penstrukturan semula itu termasuk pengendalian kes-kes mahkamah oleh majistret dan hakim bertauliah serta berkelayakan dalam bidang undang-undang di setiap empat peringkat mahkamah iaitu Mahkamah Bumiputera Majistret, Mahkamah Tinggi Bumiputera, Mahkamah Bumiputera Rayuan dan Mahkamah Bumiputera Agung. Ini sekali gus menandakan pengurusan dan perbicaraan kes-kes mahkamah akan lebih sistematik dan profesional setara dengan pengurusan kes di Mahkamah Sivil dan Mahkamah Syariah. -TVS

KUCHING: Satu Rang Undang-Undang (RUU) Mahkamah Bumiputera yang baharu akan dirangka dan dibentangkan dalam Persidangan Dewan Undangan Negeri Sarawak yang akan datang. Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Premier Sarawak (Undang-Undang dan Adat Bumiputera), Datuk Jefferson Jamit Unyat (gambar) berkata RUU itu akan merangkumi penstrukturan semula menyeluruh terhadap Mahkamah Bumiputera Sarawak, termasuk perubahan dalam struktur pentadbiran dan bidang kuasa mahkamah tersebut.  “Pindaan juga akan dibuat terhadap Ordinan Majlis Adat Istiadat Sarawak, 1977 sebagai sebahagian daripada usaha menyelaras sistem perundangan adat Bumiputera di negeri ini. “Kajian penstrukturan dan penaiktarafan Mahkamah Bumiputera Sarawak yang dimulakan pada tahun 2020 telah siap pada Februari 2023,” katanya bagi menjawab pertanyaan dari John Ilus (GPS-Bukit Semuja) pada persidangan DUN di sini, hari ini. Menurut Jefferson, Laporan Akhir Kajian tersebut telah dibentangkan kepada Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri (MMKN) pada Julai 2023, dan pada dasarnya telah diluluskan sebagai “Pelan Induk Transformasi Mahkamah Bumiputera Sarawak”. Katanya, berdasarkan pelan induk tersebut, penstrukturan semula akan melibatkan pemansuhan Native Courts Ordinance, 1992 dan digantikan dengan satu ordinan baharu yang akan dikenali sebagai Ordinan Mahkamah Bumiputera. “Penstrukturan ini juga akan memberi implikasi besar terhadap pengurusan kes mahkamah, di mana ia akan dikendalikan secara lebih profesional oleh Majistret dan Hakim yang bertauliah serta berkelayakan dalam bidang undang-undang, di empat peringkat mahkamah,” ujarnya. Empat peringkat mahjamah berkenaan termasuk Mahkamah Bumiputera Majistret (Native Magistrates’ Court); Mahkamah Tinggi Bumiputera (Native High Court); Mahkamah Bumiputera Rayuan (Native Court of Appeal); dan Mahkamah Bumiputera Agung (Native Supreme Court). “Langkah ini dijangka akan menyelaraskan pengurusan dan perbicaraan kes-kes Mahkamah Bumiputera dengan tahap profesionalisme yang setara dengan Mahkamah Sivil dan Mahkamah Syariah,” tegasnya. Jefferson menjelaskan bahawa transformasi itu juga akan menyentuh struktur organisasi Pejabat Ketua Pendaftar, termasuk aspek pengoperasian dan keperluan sumber manusia. Cadangan penstrukturan ini akan menetapkan dua peringkat Mahkamah Bumiputera, iaitu Mahkamah Rendah Bumiputera dan Mahkamah Tinggi Bumiputera.  “Dari segi pentadbiran, Mahkamah yang baharu ini akan berpusat di Ibu Pejabat di Kuching, dengan tiga Pusat Wilayah di Samarahan, Sibu dan Miri. “Transformasi ini menandakan langkah penting dalam usaha memperkasakan sistem keadilan adat Bumiputera di Sarawak,” kata beliau.

KUCHING: Kerajaan bercadang menyemak semula tempoh kontrak majistret baharu bagi Mahkamah Bumiputera Sarawak. Menteri di Jabatan Premier Sarawak Dato Sri John Sikie Tayai berkata semak semula itu juga termasuk melanjutkan tempoh kontrak dengan opsyen pembaharuan berdasarkan prestasi perkhidmatan mereka. “Cabaran utama dalam usaha pengambilan ini ialah tempoh kontrak yang singkat, iaitu hanya satu tahun yang ditawarkan kepada majistret ketika ini. “Tempoh kontrak yang pendek ini sering disebut sebagai faktor penghalang oleh calon-calon berkelayakan, terutama mereka yang mempunyai kelulusan dalam bidang perundangan,” katanya dalam ucapan penggulungan bagi kementeriannya pada Persidangan DUN di sini, hari ini. Beliau berkata pada masa ini di Mahkamah Bumiputera Sarawak mempunyai lima majistret di Mahkamah Bumiputera Daerah manakala seorang di majistret di Mahkamah Bumiputera Residen dan seorang presiden Mahkamah Rayuan Bumiputera. Katanya pada akhir tahun lalu (2024), seramai lapan orang majistret tidak lagi berkhidmat di Mahkamah Bumiputera Sarawak kerana kontrak mereka tidak disambung atas faktor usia lanjut atau masalah kesihatan. “Ketiadaan mereka telah memberi tekanan besar terhadap keupayaan mahkamah untuk menguruskan beban kes dengan berkesan serta mengekalkan tahap penyampaian perkhidmatan yang cekap. “Buat masa ini, Pejabat Pendaftar Utama sedang bekerjasama rapat dengan Unit Pembangunan dan Pengurusan Sumber Manusia Negeri bagi mengenal pasti calon-calon yang sesuai untuk mengisi kekosongan jawatan majistret tersebut,” ujarnya. Mengulas lanjut, Sikie berkata bagi menghadapi pelbagai cabaran dihadapi oleh Mahkamah Anak Negeri Sarawak dalam menyampaikan keadilan secara cekap, beberapa inisiatif telah dilaksanakan bagi meningkatkan prestasi mahkamah dan mengurangkan kes tertunggak. Katanya Pejabat Pendaftar telah menganjurkan siri Program Pemerkasaan Kapasiti yang merangkumi latihan, bengkel, seminar dan taklimat kepada Pegawai dan Pegawai Kanan Mahkamah Bumiputera sejak 2014. Program berkenaan turut melibatkan Residen Bahagian dan Pegawai Daerah sebagai majistret ex-officio, kerani mahkamah, pembantu mahkamah, ketua kaum dan tuai rumah. “Sepanjang tahun 2024, sebanyak tujuh Program Pemerkasaan Kapasiti telah dianjurkan di Wilayah Selatan, Tengah dan Utara, melibatkan 334 peserta yang terdiri daripada kerani mahkamah, pembantu mahkamah, ketua kaum dan tuai rumah. “Objektif program ini adalah untuk membekalkan peserta dengan kesedaran, pengetahuan dan kecekapan dalam melaksanakan tugas kehakiman berdasarkan peruntukan Ordinan Mahkamah Bumiputera 1992 dan Peraturan Mahkamah Bumiputerai 1993. Katanya sehingga Mei 2025, dua Program Pemerkasaan Kapasiti telah dilaksanakan di Wilayah Tengah dan Utara, melibatkan 129 ketua kaum dan tuai rumah yang baru dilantik. Sementara itu ujar beliau, lima lagi program seumpama itu sedang dirancang untuk dilaksanakan sepanjang baki tahun ini.

KOTA SAMARAHAN: Gabriel Gumis Humen has been appointed as the new president of the Native Court of Appeal, with his appointment starting from April 1, 2025. The appointment was announced by the Chief Registrar of the Native Courts of Sarawak, Datu Johnathan Lugoh, during a meeting in the main meeting room of the Native Courts of Sarawak's building on Wednesday. According to a media statement, Gabriel Gumis will replace the late Datuk Thomas Akin Jelimin, who passed away in March last year. Previously, he served as a Resident Native Court Magistrate and has a strong legal background. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree from the University of Malaya and has extensive experience in handling appeal cases related to civil matters as well as applications to be identified with a particular native community. Before joining the Sarawak Bumiputera Court, Gabriel served as a judicial commissioner at the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak. He also previously held the positions of chairman of the Industrial Court of Malaysia (Sarawak Branch) and chairman of the Social Security Appeals Board.  

KUCHING: A study to produce a master plan for restructuring and upgrading the status of the Native Court of Sarawak is currently underway. Deputy Minister in the Premier Department ( Law and Native Customs) Jefferson Jamit Unyat said the study was to be comparable to the Civil Court and the Syariah Court. “ The results of this study will be presented at the State Government Council Meeting for consideration and approval before further action can be taken,” he said in answering John Ilus's question (GPS-Bukit Semuja) at a State Legislative Assembly session today. This study aims to restructure and improve the Sarawak Native Court He said again, the jurisdiction of Native Court of Sarawak is to hear and adjudicate cases related to customary violations. “ It is based on the customary codification of customs that have been adopted and made into law by the various Bumiputera communities in Sarawak and cases related to disputes over title and compensation claims Native customary land under the Sarawak Land Code, ” he said. Native Court of Sarawak is a unit in the Sarawak Premier Department established under the 1992 Native Court Ordinance. The Native Court of Sarawak is also part of the State Government administrative unit under the Sarawak Premier Department. In addition to the Native Court of Sarawak, there are also Civil Courts under the Federal Department of Justice and the Syariah Court under the Sarawak Shariah Justice Department. Each court has its own structure, jurisdiction and powers.

KUCHING, May 22 — A Bill to restructure the Native Court that will raise it to be on par with the civil and Shariah courts will be tabled in the Sarawak State Assembly once the transformation master plan has been approved by the state Cabinet, Minister in the Premier’s Department (Native Laws and Customs) Datuk John Sikie Tayai said today. He said the final report on the master plan had been approved by a steering committee chaired by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah in September last year. “At this juncture, we are now in the process of tabling the master plan to the state Cabinet for approval and implementation,” Sikie said in his winding speech in the Sarawak State Assembly.

KUCHING: Sarawak native courts will soon have qualified magistrates and judges presiding over hearings in a revamp of its native judicial system. Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier's Department (Native Land and Customs) Jefferson Jamit (pic) said this was one of the recommendations of the master plan to transform native courts from a unit under the department to a fully-fledged judicial institution similar to civil and syariah courts. "Presently, presiding officers are headmen and community leaders at community-level courts, district officers at district native courts and residents at resident native courts," he told John Ilus (GPS-Bukit Semuja) during question time on Wednesday (May 17). (A resident is the head of an administrative division in Sarawak.) Jefferson said the findings and recommendations of the master plan, which was completed in February last year, would be presented to the state Cabinet soon for approval and implementation. He said its main recommendation was to restructure the current six-tier native court to four tiers comprising the Native Magistrate's Court, Native High Court, Native Court of Appeal and Native Supreme Court. To restructure and elevate the Native Court, Jefferson said the state government would enact new state laws or amend relevant existing laws. He said the Native Court's jurisdiction was to hear cases involving breaches of native laws and customs for the various bumiputra communities in Sarawak. The Native Court also hears cases of native customary rights land disputes and compensation claims under the state Land Code.

KUCHING (May 17): The new Native Courts in Sarawak will be manned by legally trained and qualified magistrates and judges, said Jefferson Jamit Unyat. The Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Native Law and Customs) said the state government, in January 2020, commissioned a comprehensive study for a master plan to transform the Native Courts from being a unit under the Premier of Sarawak’s Department to a full-fledged judicial institution which is independent and autonomous like the civil and Shariah courts. He said the study was completed in February last year, and the findings and recommendations in the final report will be presented to the state Cabinet for approval and implementation. “The main recommendation by the consultant is to reconstruct the structure from the current six-tier Native Courts to a four-tier court structure comprising the Native Magistrate Court, Native High Court, Native Court of Appeal, and Native Supreme Court. “The new Native Courts will be manned by legally trained and qualified magistrates and judges, unlike the present court where the presiding officers are the headmen and community leaders at the community level and district officers and Residents of district Native Courts and Resident’s Native Courts respectively,” said Jamit. The Bukit Goram assemblyman was responding to a question from John Ilus (GPS-Bukit Semuja) during the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting today. “For the restructuring and elevation of the Native Courts of Sarawak, the recommendation in the master plan is to amend the current state and federal laws to make new state laws and the focus will be amendments relevant to the Native Courts, which are under the jurisdiction and power of the State Legislative Assembly,” he added.

KUCHING, May 13 — A much anticipated Bill to amend the Native Courts Ordinance will not be tabled at next week’s sitting of the Sarawak State Assembly, Speaker Tan Sri Asfia Awang Nasar said today. He said neither he nor State Assembly Secretary Pele Peter Tinggom received any notification from the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk John Sikie Tayai to table the Bill. He said a minister or his deputy is required to give at least a one day’s notice prior to the assembly sitting for any proposal to be presented during working hours, and cited Standing Order 44 to be read together with Standing 24(1((2) of the Sarawak State Assembly. “It also cannot be presented while the sitting is in progress,” he told reporters attending the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) supreme council meeting here. “As such, there is no Bill to amend the Native Courts Ordinance,” he said, responding to a previous statement by Deputy Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu. On May 9, Rentap had claimed that a Bill to amend the Native Courts Ordinance was among the new Bills to be tabled at the State Assembly which starts its sitting from May 15 to 24. Rentap had said the Speaker would make an announcement on the Bills, including the Bill to amend the Native Courts Ordinance, after the GPS supreme council meeting. In May last year, Sikie had said a Bill on a new Native Courts Ordinance was expected to be tabled at the next State Legislative Assembly later in the year. He had said the proposed new ordinance would repeal the current Native Courts Ordinance 1992 and the Native Courts Rules 1993 to pave the way for the state to transform its Native Courts. He had said the proposed transformation of the Native Courts Sarawak would commence in earnest only after the new Native Courts Ordinance has been passed. He had said efforts had been made by the Sarawak government to elevate the Native Courts Sarawak into an independent judicial system equivalent to the Shariah and Civil Courts.