Sarawak Drafting New Bumiputera Courts Bill To Restructure Customary Judicial System

SIBU, Oct 8  – The Sarawak state government is actively drafting a new Bumiputera Courts Bill designed to overhaul the administrative framework and expand the jurisdiction of its customary judicial institutions.

Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas announced that the proposed legislation will establish a professionalized judicial bench by providing for the appointment of legally qualified officers as full-time magistrates and judges.

Speaking at the launch of the Iban Customary Law Symposium 2026 in Sibu on Thursday, October 8, 2026, Uggah noted that the organizational shift will reshape traditional roles within the local justice system.

“What remains unclear is the role the Community Leaders and Village Heads (KMKK) will play within the upgraded Bumiputera Courts system,” Uggah stated, highlighting that KMKK members currently preside over village-level customary court proceedings.

Customary Law Review and Educational Integration

The state government is simultaneously updating traditional legal frameworks to reflect modern societal changes while preserving cultural principles:

• Iban Customary Law 1993 Review: The Sarawak Native Customs Council (MAIS) is conducting a comprehensive review of the Iban Customary Law 1993, backed by state-wide stakeholder engagement sessions with community leaders, district offices, and resident offices ongoing since 2021.
• Stakeholder Consultation: Amendments will incorporate feedback from diverse community groups to ensure customary principles adapt to contemporary legal demands without losing core traditional values.
• Academic Collaboration: Uggah urged MAIS to collaborate with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) to integrate Iban customary law studies into its Bachelor of Education (Iban Language) degree program.
• Cultural Heritage Preservation: Embedding customary law into academic curricula aims to formally document, preserve, and pass down indigenous legal traditions to future generations.

The findings and resolutions from the Iban Customary Law Symposium 2026 will feed directly into state deliberations regarding the finalizing of the Bumiputera Courts Bill.

–NMT