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PENAMPANG: The Sabah Council of the Justices of the Peace (Majaps) is working on getting the powers of the Justices of the Peace (JPs) to be reinstated or enhanced to be at par with their peninsula counterparts by the Federal Government.

“We are trying to get the federal ministry of law to give a circular directing all federal government departments in Sabah to recognise the signature of JPs.

“If that cannot be done, then maybe it will have to be done in the Parliament to enhance the JPs’ powers in Sabah,” said Majaps President Datuk Seri Dr Clarence Bongkos Malakun (pix).

Met after chairing Majaps’ 30th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the ITCC here Saturday, he said JPs in Sabah used to have powers over matters such as the marriage of people, among others. 

“Our power to sign on the nomination papers has already been removed by the Election Commission (EC). We used to be able to certify the documents,” he said.

Malakun said the signatures of Sabah JPs were also recognised for Road Transport Department (RTD) dealings such as vehicle ownership transfer before but no more now.

“Actually we want Sabah JPs’ signatures to be recognised…the RTD no longer recognises our signatures. It is embarrassing for us to be made JPs but can’t do anything,” he said.

According to him, Majaps met with the then Federal State Secretary two years ago but since a new officer came in, “somehow they forget.”

Malakun said getting the JPs’ signature to be recognised by government departments, particularly the RTD, the National Registrations Department (NRD) and the Education Department, was imperative.

“Most of these are really needed by the public, like students who want their education certificates and birth certificates to be certified.

“So, they have to go to a Commissioner for Oath or the department concerned. It’s creating a problem for them,” he said, adding that JPs are giving their service free of charge.

“So we want this power to be recognised. Enhanced, if possible, and for those powers that are not yet properly clear, especially some federal departments think Sabah JPs are not equivalent to a magistrate or JPs in Malaya,” he said.

Malakun added that the powers of JPs in the peninsula were quite clear.

“We want actually to be recognised as a second class magistrate,” he said.