[UPDATED] e-Jamin continued to avoid disruption to judicial services, says judiciary

KUALA LUMPUR: The judiciary has confirmed that the e-Jamin bail payment system has continued its operations, despite being granted exemptions by the Finance Ministry to prevent any disruption to judicial services. The Office of the Chief Registrar of the Federal Court revealed that they had been aware of the system's issues since January 2024 and have been collaborating with all relevant agencies to address them.

According to the statement, the e-Jamin system was allowed to continue operating under the exemptions granted by the Finance Ministry, ensuring that judicial services remained unaffected. This comes in light of the findings by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that the e-Jamin system had been in service for five years without a formal contract with the government.

The office acknowledged the PAC's findings and recommendations, including the proposal for the judiciary to devise a long-term solution for managing court bail funds to avoid reliance on private vendors. The committee emphasized their commitment to maintaining uninterrupted services while adhering to accounting regulations and the Federal Constitution.

This includes establishing an internal system for managing court bail funds in accordance with the judiciary's aim of promoting access to justice. The PAC had previously reported that the e-Jamin system, managed by Dapat Vista Sdn Bhd, was utilized at 192 courts across the country since January 10, 2020, without a formal agreement with the government.

The committee noted that the bail deposits made through e-Jamin were credited to a commercial account owned by Dapat Vista instead of the Consolidated Trust Account. As of December 31, 2024, RM193.71 million in bail deposits were held in the account, with RM130.8 million invested on behalf of the company. The investments generated an annual interest ranging from RM4 million to RM5 million, according to the PAC.

Furthermore, the committee identified a RM557,258 discrepancy in the criminal bail deposit account, which stemmed from the daily bail transactions. The committee urged the office and the Finance Ministry to expedite negotiations with Dapat Vista to finalize a formal agreement to safeguard the bail funds. Additionally, they recommended that the judiciary develop its own internal bail module to prevent dependence on private vendors and ensure full ownership of the data by the government.