Circular No: 163/2026
Date: 21 September 2026
Dear Members of the Kuala Lumpur Bar,
On 12 August 2026, the Kuala Lumpur Bar Committee Criminal Law Practice Committee (“KLBC CLPC”) held a meeting with the Managing Judge of the Kuala Lumpur Criminal Courts (“MJ”), Attorney General’s Chambers of Malaysia (“AGC”), Royal Malaysian Police (“PDRM”), Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (“SPRM”), Malaysian Prison Department (“MPD”) and National Anti-Drugs Agency (“AADK”).
The KLBC CLPC was represented by the Chairman of the Kuala Lumpur Bar, Nimalan Devaraja, the Honorary Secretary of the Kuala Lumpur Bar, Shugan Raman, KLBC CLPC Co-Chairpersons Rajsurian Pillai and Morhaneraj Rajakumaran, who is also Chairperson of the Bar Council Legal Aid Centre (Kuala Lumpur), and CLPC Deputy Chairperson Purshotaman Puvanendran.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss matters concerning the administration of criminal justice in the Kuala Lumpur Courts.
We set out below the matters discussed during the said meeting:
Delay In Providing Charge Sheet For Lawyers’ Reference
The CLPC raised concerns regarding delays faced by lawyers in obtaining charge sheets, including instances where copies of charge sheet were not provided to the lawyers handling the cases. This has resulted in lawyers being unable to properly advise their clients.
It was suggested that the AGC or PDRM consider providing copies of the charge sheets to the lawyers, particularly as charge sheets for the first charge are not available through the EFS system.
The AGC explained that providing physical copies in every case would involve significant printing costs given the high volume of cases in the Kuala Lumpur Courts. Nevertheless, the AGC expressed its commitment to cooperating with lawyers on this matter.
Lawyers may therefore request for a soft copy of the charge sheet from the relevant Deputy Public Prosecutor by email, subject to any applicable confidentiality requirements.
As practical measure, lawyers may also take photographs of the charge sheets to obtain the particulars for urgent reference.
Delay In The Release Of Accused Persons (“OKTs”) After Payment Of Bail Has Been Settled
The CLPC raised the issue of delays in the release of OKTs after bail has been settled. There is currently no clear standard operating procedure specifying when an OKT will be released after the bail process has been completed. As a result, family members may be required to wait for several hours before the OKT is released.
PDRM took note of the issue and proposed that the release of OKTs be carried out on a staggered basis as follows:
Proposed Release Schedule for OKTs
(a) Newly charged OKTs: 2:30pm and 4:30pm
(b) OKTs who have previously been granted bail: 11:00am
Permission For YBGK Lawyers To Interview OKTs
The CLPC received feedback that certain Magistrates have not permitted matters to be stood down to allow YBGK lawyers to interview OKTs, apparently due to the high volume of matters on certain days.
The CLPC raised this issue and requested the Court to consider allowing matters to be stood down for a short period to enable YBGK lawyers to conduct a preliminary interview with the OKT before making submission.
The Court took note of the issue and will look into the matter.
Documents Provided Under S51A By The PDRM
The CLPC proposed improving the current practice by allowing the documents provided under S51A by PDRM and subsequently furnished by the AGC to be sent to lawyers through email, cloud or other suitable electronic platform, instead of the present practice of providing the documents by CD. This would be more convenient for all parties as many laptops and computers no longer have CD drives.
The AGC agreed with the proposal and suggested that S51A documents may be forwarded by email. Lawyers may nevertheless opt to receive the documents in hard copy if preferred.
Members are reminded that documents and information provided under S51A are strictly confidential and must not be improperly disseminated, circulated or made viral.
Uploading Recordings Of Court Proceedings On Social Media
The Court raised the recurring issue of lawyers uploading photographs or videos of Court proceedings on social media.
Members are reminded that they are strictly prohibited from posting or uploading photos, videos or recordings of the Courtroom or Court proceedings on social media or any other platform in contravention of the applicable rules and requirements.
Non-compliance may result in a complaint being lodged with the Advocates & Solicitors Disciplinary Board.
Security Checks At The Entrance Of The Kuala Lumpur Court Complex
The CLPC took the opportunity to raise the recent issue of long queues faced by members at the entrance of the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex for security screening. The CLPC sought clarification on the causes of these queues and possible measures to expedite the process and minimise the risk of lawyers being late for their matters.
The Court took note of the concerns raised and explained that such queues are not frequent but may arise when high-profile cases are scheduled on a particular day. The Court further explained that the security screening process and the use of the security screening equipment are mandatory and cannot be dispensed with, particularly as prohibited items have previously been discovered during the screening process.
In light of this, the CLPC requested that the Court inform the Kuala Lumpur Bar in advance when high-profile cases are scheduled, where possible, so that members may be notified and make the necessary arrangements to arrive at the Court Complex earlier.
Touts
The Court raised concerns regarding the frequent presence of persons suspected to be touts at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex and urged the CLPC to work together with PDRM to address this long-standing issue.
The CLPC is working with the Malaysian Bar’s Anti-Touting Committee to raise public awareness and educate the public on identifying and dealing with touts at the Kuala Lumpur Courts.
Members who have direct information or evidence pertaining to any touting activity are requested to provide the information to Kuala Lumpur Bar at noratikah@klbar.org.my. All information provided will be treated with the strictest of confidence. Please note that the information may be forwarded to the Malaysian Bar’s Anti-Touting Committee for further action, unless otherwise requested.
We also remind members who practises touting or engaging touts to solicit for briefs to immediately cease such practice. The Kuala Lumpur Bar Committee will not hesitate to take appropriate action against any person involved in conduct that undermines the dignity and integrity of the legal profession. Members are reminded to maintain the highest standards of professional conduct at all times.
The KLBC and CLPC are grateful for the opportunity to engage with the Judiciary and the authorities on matters relevant to our members and the administration of the Kuala Lumpur Criminal Courts. We look forward to continuing this constructive dialogue in the interest of facilitating the effective administration of the criminal justice system and the efficient functioning of the Kuala Lumpur Courts.
Rajsurian Pillai
Morhaneraj Rajakumaran
Co-Chairpersons
Criminal Law Practice Committee