BRUNEI-MUARA

THE Syariah Court is set to implement the e-Syariah Court Management System, following a $1.75 million contract inked yesterday between the Brunei Government and local IT firm ZimacSilicon Technologies Sdn Bhd.

 Modelled on Malaysia’s award-winning e-Syariah System, the electronic application system will enable the Syariah Court to provide more efficient and effective judicial services for the public.

 Hj Mohd Serudin Hj Timbang, Director of the State Judiciary Department, said the e-Syariah Court Management System will handle the integration of the initial registration process until the case is settled.

 “It will replace the method which we currently use, a large portion of which is carried out and processed manually,” he said during the contract signing ceremony at The Empire Hotel.

Scheduled to be fully implemented over the next two years, the e-Syariah Court Management System will create an electronic network connecting all the Syariah courts nationwide for the purpose of coordination and information sharing.

 The system also aims to further enhance the productivity and effectiveness of court management nationwide.

Once the system is up and running by the end of 2016, it will provide facilities such as registration of cases, hearing schedules, searching for information in cases, record of judicial decisions as well as generate statistics and reports.

The system also contains a systematic case management service to facilitate the equal distribution of property between heirs and relatives using the Faraid calculator.

 In addition, the e-Syariah Court Management System will also be used by the Muslim Marriage, Divorce, Revocation and Reconciliation Office for management and registration purposes as well as issuing marriage cards to newlyweds.

 Through e-Filing, other relevant parties will also benefit from the improved case registration and referral process.

 They will also be able to check on the status of cases, the date and time of hearings and trials, as well as receive automated notifications via kiosk machines and reminders via emails.

Hj Mohd Serudin hoped the system will assist the function and task of the Syariah Court in upholding justice.

 According to Azahari Yeo from ZimacSilicon Technologies Sdn Bhd, the e-Syariah Court Management System developed for Brunei will be modelled on Malaysia’s award-winning e-Syariah System.

 He said the system, created by the East Malaysian-based Sarawak Information Systems of ZimacSilicon Technologies Sdn Bhd, was the country’s only software represented at the World Summit on Information & ICT for Development in Geneva, Switzerland in 2003.

 The e-Syariah System also boasts the prestigious Prime Minister’s ICT Quality Award and Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Award among numerous other accolades.

 In his project briefing delivered during the contract signing ceremony, Azahari said the e-Syariah Court Management System is scheduled to be fully implemented over the next two years, followed by a four-year maintenance period.

 Signing the contract on behalf of the Brunei Government were Hj Mohd Serudin and the Acting Chief Registrar at the Syariah Appeal Court, Hj Hassan Hj Metali.

 Meanwhile, ZimacTechnologies Sdn Bhd was represented by its Managing Director, Dato Paduka Hj Idris Hj Abas, and its Executive Director, Mas Roslee Dato Paduka Hj Idris.

Present to witness the signing was Acting Chief Syari’e Judge Pehin Orang Kaya Paduka Seri Utama Dato Paduka Seri Setia Hj Salim Hj Besar.

 The Bruneian firm was formed with the partnership of Sarawak Information Systems Sdn Bhd and SiliconNet Technologies Sdn Bhd.

The Brunei Times