Judiciary halts online bail system, funds to be directed to PM’s Dept: Pertama Digital

This discontinues e-Jamin system, requiring a return to manual bail processes

Pertama Digital discloses a directive from the chief registrar of the Federal Court, instructing the transfer of e-Jamin funds to the Prime Minister's Department and the discontinuation of the online bail system. – Scoop pic, May 17, 2024

KUALA LUMPUR – Pertama Digital Bhd has revealed a directive from the chief registrar of the Federal Court mandating the transfer of all e-Jamin funds and accrued interest to the Prime Minister’s Department (PMD). 

The move, which necessitates the cessation of the e-Jamin system and a return to the judiciary’s manual bail practice, was communicated to Pertama Digital’s subsidiary, Dapat Vista (M) Sdn Bhd, via a letter on April 30. 

In a bourse filing yesterday, Pertama Digital said that the letter directed the company to transfer all current bail funds and accrued interest generated from the collection account to the Prime Minister’s Consolidated Funds as of May 19. 

The requirement to discontinue the e-Jamin system and revert to traditional bail processes was also set for the same date. 

The public-listed company also said that its subsidiary is working towards obtaining approval from the relevant regulatory authorities to continue providing services via e-Jamin in the future. 

It added that the directive will have a significant impact on the group’s operations and revenue stream, as e-Jamin has been a “crucial component” of its business since its inception in January 2020. 

The e-Jamin system, Pertama Digital said, is intact, while Dapat is currently in discussions with several banks to facilitate the chief registrar’s directive.

The online bail solution system, which was the first of its kind in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, was launched in 2020 to speed up the posting of bail for court cases nationwide. 

The initiative allowed bailors to make payments within 30 minutes and post bail via mobile devices or laptops without having to go through tedious travels between the courts and banks to open a surety account. 

Bail money would later be refunded to bailors’ bank accounts within a short time frame after a case’s conclusion. – May 17, 2024