KUALA LUMPUR: As Universiti Malaya (UM) Law Faculty alumnus, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob today showed his support for legal aid programmes initiated by UM Faculty of Law Alumni Association (Parfum).

The programmes are to help an accused person (OKT) especially those facing severe punishment and are unrepresented in proceedings before the court due to financial problems.

In support of Pafrum, Ismail Sabri announced an allocation of RM100,000 for its activities in his speech at James Low Hong Ping Special Achievers' Award Ceremony held at the Parliament building today.

Among alumni present at the ceremony were Energy and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan, Parfum president Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and lawyer Tan Sri Dr Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.

Earlier, Shahrizat in her speech said the programme was important to assist those in need, in addition to the aid provided through the National Legal Aid Foundation and Bar Council Legal Aid.

Ismail Sabri also commended the efforts taken by Parfum members in helping the new generation of UM Law Faculty students despite their busy work schedule.

At the ceremony, the Prime Minister presented the special award to two alumni who are persons with disabilities (PwD), Loh Wei Siong and Ang Shin Yee.

The award is in honour of constitutional law scholar and disability rights activist James Low Hong Ping who died on May 27, 2020 after battling spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)

-- BERNAMA