(Borneo Post; February 6, 2007)

KUCHING: A history of sorts was created in Sarawak yesterday when Chief Justice of the Federal Court Tun Dato Sri Ahmad Fairuz Dato Sheikh Abdul Halim launched Malaysia’s first-ever deployment of the video and tele-conferencing, short message system (SMS) and file tracking system (FTS).

Demonstrating the crystal-clear video conference and audio quality of a mock case heard between Kuching and Miri High Courts, the launch provided a peek into the future use of a cost and time-saving system that Ahmad Fairuz said would later be adopted in Sibu and Bintulu High Courts and eventually, nationwide.

Speaking to reporters at the Judicial Department, he said that he would put forward the idea to the Federal Government, which he was confident would support the undertaking to implement it nation-wide, depending on the (availability of) funds and the number of users.

“Members of the Bar in Sarawak have given their strong support. I hope their counterparts in Peninsular Malaysia will follow suit,” he said.

In his comment earlier, he said: “I am so proud that Sarawak is so advanced. The judges over there should pick up quickly…what, if Sarawak takes the lead? It’s very good.”

The system is developed by Sarawak Information Systems Sdn Bhd (SAINS).

Also present at the launching were Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture cum Minister of Industrial Development and SAINS chairman Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam, Chief Judge of the High Court in Sabah and Sarawak Datuk Seri Panglima Richard Malanjum, State Attorney General Datuk JC Fong, four Federal court judges and all judges in Sarawak.

With the video/tele-conference facility lawyers would not be required to travel to attend outstation cases for interlocutory court hearings in Kuching and Miri. Lawyers would only be required to attend the video-tele conferencing room in Miri High Court to appear before the judge of Kuching High Court, he said.

“This will save a lot of travelling time for the lawyers and expenses for their clients,” he said, adding that he was confident that misplaced files, backlog and postponed cases would reduce dramatically while the rate of case disposals would increase.

Furthermore, rape cases could be heard via video-conferencing without the complainant to be physically present while chemists, who were few in number and were often needed to act as scientific witnesses, need not travel to different courts to give evidence, he said.

The short messaging system (SMS) technology would be used to remind advocates of the status of their cases and inform them of last minute rescheduling of court hearings, which enabled advocates to use their time more efficiently, he said.

“With FTS, the court will be able to keep track of the whereabouts of each individual file. The problem of misplaced files should be a thing of the past,” he said in his officiating speech.

“If we can dispose of more cases in addition to what the government has given us - more officers and more judges - then the backlog of cases should be contained to one year only, and that’s excellent,” he said, adding that he did not have the cost factors as yet.

In addition, any law that hindered the implementation of the system would be amended in order to allow smooth sailing, especially those related to criminal cases.

Regarding obstacles to the daily operation of the video/tele conferencing, SMS and FTS system, Ahmad Fairuz said that first a law needed to be passed, enabling the use of electronic recordings to be used during the case proceedings.

The current practice (where the Judge handwrites the notes during proceedings) must cease first, he said.

SAINS, incepted in 1992, has made its presence in Malaysia as a leading information communications technology Systems integrator and solutions provider. Information can be found at http://www.sains.com.my.