By WU VUIDE
KOTA KINABALU: The Borneo International Centre for Arbitration and Mediation (BICAM) has launched its Pro Bono Mediation Initiative to provide individuals and small businesses with greater access to professional dispute resolution services.
The initiative was launched by Deputy Chief Minister II and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun during BICAM Global ADR Horizons 2026.
Masidi said access to justice should not depend on a person’s financial capacity, especially when the cost, time and pressure of disputes could affect livelihoods, family businesses, contractors, suppliers and communities.
“The Pro Bono Mediation Initiative brings professional mediation services closer to those who may not otherwise have access to them. It also provides a credible platform for suitable disputes to be resolved amicably, efficiently and with dignity,” he said.
Developed in collaboration with the courts and supported by the legal and mediation community, the initiative complements the judicial process by encouraging early settlements, reducing unnecessary costs and helping parties resolve disputes before they become more entrenched.
Masidi said mediation was a practical and forward-looking approach that allowed parties to be heard, preserved relationships and produced solutions based on legal rights, commercial realities, community values and common sense.
He also commended the mediators and legal practitioners contributing their time and expertise to the programme, describing pro bono service as an important expression of professional responsibility and commitment to the public good.
Masidi said BICAM’s growth was important not only to the legal profession but also to Sabah, as a strong and independent dispute resolution institution would strengthen investor confidence, promote commercial certainty and support the State’s long-term economic competitiveness.
He reaffirmed the State Government’s continued support for BICAM while stressing that its institutional independence must be preserved.
“Effective dispute resolution is not merely a legal service. It is part of the foundation for economic confidence, good governance and sustainable development,” he said.
BICAM Global ADR Horizons 2026 brought together judges, legal practitioners, arbitrators, mediators, industry leaders, academics and institutional partners to discuss international arbitration, investment, construction disputes, artificial intelligence and the evolving role of alternative dispute resolution in the region.
Also present were BICAM Chairman Tan Sri David Wong and Kota Kinabalu High Court Judge Datuk Celestina Stuel Galid.
Masidi (centre), receiving a souvenir from David (right), as Celestina looks on.
