KUALA LUMPUR,  Dec 11 ― The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MEA) has allocated RM120 million for upgrading and repair work at court buildings throughout the country.

Its minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali in a statement here today said the move was taken so as to ensure that the courts can carry out their functions and responsibilities effectively.

He said it is a one-off allocation in the Fourth Rolling Plan 2020 under allocations for buildings, with the implementation period being two years.

"The Ministry of Economic Affairs is taking serious attention on the application to upgrade and repair court buildings, many of which are very old and in dire need of repairs.

"This situation not only affects court operations but also poses safety risks to users, especially judges, court staff, lawyers and the public,” he said.

As such, he said the government was confident that the allocation would help raise the efficiency bar of the judiciary in serving the people.

Mohamed Azmin added that the project involved 120 court buildings and that close attention would be given to critical repairs involving among others roofing, walls and the piping, air conditioning and fire prevention systems.

Thirteen of the buildings are in Johor , Melaka (three), Negri Sembilan (eight), Selangor (12), Putrajaya (one), Perak (18), Penang  (five), Kedah (10), Kelantan (10), Terengganu (six), Pahang (nine), Sarawak (five), Sabah (19) and Labuan (one). ― Bernama