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Malay Mail
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Wan Ahmad Farid named Malaysia's 17th Chief Justice, swearing in set for July 28
KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 — On July 28, Court of Appeal Judge Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh will be sworn in as the country's 17th Chief Justice, succeeding Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, who retired on July 2. This followed an announcement by the Office of the Chief Registrar of the Federal Court in a statement released late yesterday. Hailing from Kuala Terengganu, the 62-year-old jurist was appointed to the Court of Appeal on Nov 12 last year. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B Hons) from the University of West London, earned in 1985, and obtained a Certificate in Legal Practice (Hons) from Universiti Malaya in 1986. He began his legal career as an advocate and solicitor with Messrs Adnan & Wee in Kuala Terengganu, serving from 1987 to 2003. Beyond his legal career, Wan Ahmad Farid has been active in public administration and politics. He served as political secretary to former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi from 2003 to 2008, before being appointed Deputy Home Minister from 2008 to 2009. He returned to legal practice between 2011 and 2015 as a partner at Messrs Wan Farid & Surin in Kuala Lumpur. Wan Ahmad Farid began his judicial career in 2015 as a Judicial Commissioner, serving in the High Courts of Shah Alam, Kuala Lumpur, and Kota Bharu until 2019. He was then elevated to High Court Judge from 2019 to 2024, with postings in Kota Bharu, Shah Alam (Special Powers Division), and Kuala Lumpur (Special Powers Division 3). In 2024, he played a key role in a landmark ruling involving a constitutional suit filed by lawyer Dr Syed Iskandar Syed Jaafar Al Mahdzar, which challenged the powers of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in declaring a state of emergency. In his judgment, Wan Ahmad Farid held that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's authority to declare an emergency under Article 150 of the Federal Constitution is a prerogative power that is non-justiciable and beyond the court's review. Wan Ahmad Farid was also among the members of the panel of judges who heard a case involving a dispute over 263.272 acres of land dubbed 'Duta Enclave' involving Semantan Estate Sdn Bhd in the Federal Court. — Bernama
Malay Mail
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Malaysian Bar: Lawyers' walk to PM's office on July 14 not to protest CJ's non-extension, but to defend courts' independence
KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 — The Malaysian Bar today clarified that its march to the Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya next Monday is not meant to protest the government's decision to not extend the tenure of the two highest-ranking judges in Malaysia. Instead, the Malaysian Bar said the upcoming 'Walk to Safeguard Judicial Independence' is about defending the independence of the judiciary as an institution. In a press statement today, Malaysian Bar president Mohamad Ezri Abdul Wahab said it was misleading to describe the walk as a protest against the government's decision not to extend the tenures of the former Chief Justice of Malaysia (CJ) and the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA). Last week, Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat and Tan Sri Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim retired as both the CJ and PCA, as they had reached the mandatory retirement age for judges at 66 years old and they had not been given a six-month extension. 'The Walk is not about individuals; it is a stand for institutional integrity,' Ezri said. On behalf of the Malaysian Bar, Ezri said: 'Let there be no misunderstanding: The Malaysian Bar walks not in protest of individuals, but in defence of the institution.' Among other things, Ezri said the Malaysian Bar's walk is for the sake of justice and also for the public. Ezri explained that the Bar Council — acting on a mandate given by Malaysian Bar members in the Bar's 79th annual general meeting (AGM) on March 15 — had decided to organise next Monday's walk after carefully thinking about it. The Malaysian Bar said the walk is aimed at expressing grave institutional concerns about the state of the judiciary, prolonged vacancies, the need for leadership continuity, and to call for reforms to safeguard the judiciary's independence. The Malaysian Bar said its focus is on structural and systemic issues affecting the judiciary. It said recent developments have raised deep concerns, referring to examples such as alleged unexplained delays in appointments to fill up vacancies in the courts and alleged possible interference in judicial affairs. Stressing the need to protect the judiciary from external influence, Ezri said the upcoming walk is a 'lawful, peaceful and symbolic act of civic responsibility'. 'This is not just a Walk for lawyers; it is a Walk for the Judiciary, the Bar, and for every Malaysian who values justice. When judicial independence is weakened, the whole nation suffers,' he said. Yesterday, the Malaysian Bar informed its 23,000-odd members that the peaceful walk will start at 2pm on July 14 from the Palace of Justice's (POJ) main entrance, with lawyers to trek 2.6km to the Prime Minister's Office to hand over a memorandum on judicial independence and the judiciary.
Malay Mail
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Who takes charge in the event of vacancy in the offices of Chief Justice and President of Court of Appeal — Hafiz Hassan
JULY 3 — After Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat on Tuesday (July 1), Tan Sri Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim, the first Sarawakian to serve as the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), concluded his last official day at work at the Palace of Justice yesterday. So today, the Judiciary is without the Chief Justice (CJ) and PCA, the top two judicial officers of the country — perhaps unprecedented. Do the vacant offices affect the work of the Judiciary? The answer lies in Section 9 of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964. Section 9 on "Exercise of powers during incapacity or absence" provides as follows: (1) Whenever during any period, owing to illness or absence from Malaysia or any other cause, the Chief Justice is unable to exercise the powers or perform the duties of his office (including his functions under the Constitution), or in the event of a vacancy in the office, the powers shall be had and may be exercised and the duties shall be performed - (a) by the President; or (b) where the President is absent from Malaysia or unable to act, or in the event of a vacancy in the office, by the Chief Judge of the High Court in Malaya; or (c) where the President and the Chief Judge of the High Court in Malaya are absent from Malaysia or unable to act, or in the event of a vacancy in the offices, by the Chief Judge of the High Court in Sabah and Sarawak; or (d) where the President, the Chief Judge of the High Court in Malaya and the High Court in Sabah and Sarawak are absent from Malaysia or unable to act, or in the event of a vacancy in the offices, by the Judge of the Federal Court nominated for that purpose by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat has retired as Chief Justice with no replacement so far. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon (1A) Whenever during any period, owing to illness or absence from Malaysia or any other cause, the President is unable to exercise the powers or perform the duties of his office, the powers shall be had and may be exercised and the duties shall be performed by a Judge of the Federal Court designated for that purpose by the Chief Justice after consulting the President. (1B) Whenever during any period, owing to illness or absence from Malaysia or any other cause, the Chief Judge of the High Court in Malaya is unable to exercise the powers or perform the duties of his office, the powers shall be had and may be exercised and the duties shall be performed by a Judge of the Federal Court designated for that purpose by the Chief Justice after consulting the Chief Judge of that High Court. (2) Whenever during any period, owing to illness or absence from Malaysia or any other cause, the Chief Judge of the High Court in Sabah and Sarawak is unable to exercise the powers or perform the duties of his office, the powers shall be had and may be exercised and the duties shall be performed by the Judge of the Federal Court or of that High Court designated for that purpose by the Chief Justice after consulting the Chief Judge of that High Court. (3) Whenever the office of the President or any Chief Judge is vacant, the powers of the President or any such Chief Judge, as the case may be, shall be had and may be exercised and his duties shall be performed by - (a) a Judge of the Federal Court; or (b) in respect of a vacancy in the office of the Chief Judge of the High Court in Sabah and Sarawak, a Judge of the Federal Court or a Judge of that High Court, designated for that purpose by the Chief Justice. The gist of the above is this: in the event of a vacancy in the office of the CJ, the duties shall be performed by the PCA. In the event of the office of the PCA is vacant, the Chief Judge of the High Court in Malaya (CJM) shall perform the duties of the CJ. Where the office of the PCA is vacant, the duties shall be performed by a Judge of the Federal Court (FCJ) designated for that purpose by the CJ. So in the event of vacancy in the offices of CJ and PCA, designated judges take charge and perform duties of the respective offices. * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
Malay Mail
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
First Sarawakian President of Court of Appeal, Abang Iskandar, retires after over four decades in law and justice
PUTRAJAYA, July 2 — Tan Sri Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim, the first Sarawakian to serve as the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), concluded his last official day at work today at the Palace of Justice here. Tomorrow, Abang Iskandar will turn 66, the mandatory retirement age for judges. He has served for more than two years and five months as the PCA, which is the second highest-ranked post in the judiciary. This afternoon, Abang Iskandar marked the end of his tenure as Malaysia's 12th President of the Court of Appeal in a low-key fashion. It is understood that judicial staff started streaming into his office since 3pm today to bid farewell and to take photographs with him. Media personnel were allowed to also meet him and take photographs with him. Earlier this morning, two lawyers who appeared before Abang Iskandar in a court case today wished him a happy retirement, after he had delivered one of his final court decisions. Yesterday, eight lawyers also took turns in the courtroom to speak on behalf of the Malaysian Bar and other lawyers to express their appreciation and gratitude to both Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat and PCA Abang Iskandar. Abang Iskandar, who was born in Sibu, Sarawak, and is a Universiti Malaya (UM) law graduate, has spent 42 years serving the nation in the judicial and legal services. In his long career, he has served as a magistrate, a Sessions Court judge, and chairman of the Department of Cooperative Development Malaysia tribunal. Abang Iskandar, who was born in Sibu, Sarawak, and is a Universiti Malaya (UM) law graduate, has spent 42 years serving the nation in the judicial and legal services. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin He has also been the head of the general crime unit and commercial crime unit in the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) for seven years; the head of Bank Negara Malaysia's prosecution unit for two years; and the director of Securities Commission's (SC) enforcement division for three years. Abang Iskandar later spent 18 years at the High Court, Court of Appeal and Federal Court, starting with his role as judicial commissioner in March 2007. He was appointed as a High Court judge on October 14, 2009; a Court of Appeal judge on September 30, 2013; and a Federal Court judge on November 26, 2018. Abang Iskandar was appointed as Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak on February 20, 2020, and PCA on January 17, 2023. Throughout his career, Abang Iskandar also helped shoulder judicial responsibilities when some of the judiciary's top four positions were vacant and had yet to be filled. He served as acting PCA from November 2022 until his appointment as PCA in January 2023, and had also served as acting Chief Judge of Malaya from March to November 2024 until the position was filled by the current CJM Tan Sri Hasnah Mohammed Hashim.
Malay Mail
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
First Sarawakian President of Court of Appeal, Tan Sri Abang Iskandar, retires after over four decades in law and justice
PUTRAJAYA, July 2 — Tan Sri Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim, the first Sarawakian to serve as the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), concluded his last official day at work today at the Palace of Justice here. Tomorrow, Abang Iskandar will turn 66, the mandatory retirement age for judges. He has served for more than two years and five months as the PCA, which is the second highest-ranked post in the judiciary. This afternoon, Abang Iskandar marked the end of his tenure as Malaysia's 12th President of the Court of Appeal in a low-key fashion. It is understood that judicial staff started streaming into his office since 3pm today to bid farewell and to take photographs with him. Media personnel were allowed to also meet him and take photographs with him. Earlier this morning, two lawyers who appeared before Abang Iskandar in a court case today wished him a happy retirement, after he had delivered one of his final court decisions. Yesterday, eight lawyers also took turns in the courtroom to speak on behalf of the Malaysian Bar and other lawyers to express their appreciation and gratitude to both Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat and PCA Abang Iskandar. Abang Iskandar, who was born in Sibu, Sarawak, and is a Universiti Malaya (UM) law graduate, has spent 42 years serving the nation in the judicial and legal services. In his long career, he has served as a magistrate, a Sessions Court judge, and chairman of the Department of Cooperative Development Malaysia tribunal. Abang Iskandar, who was born in Sibu, Sarawak, and is a Universiti Malaya (UM) law graduate, has spent 42 years serving the nation in the judicial and legal services. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin He has also been the head of the general crime unit and commercial crime unit in the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) for seven years; the head of Bank Negara Malaysia's prosecution unit for two years; and the director of Securities Commission's (SC) enforcement division for three years. Abang Iskandar later spent 18 years at the High Court, Court of Appeal and Federal Court, starting with his role as judicial commissioner in March 2007. He was appointed as a High Court judge on October 14, 2009; a Court of Appeal judge on September 30, 2013; and a Federal Court judge on November 26, 2018. Abang Iskandar was appointed as Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak on February 20, 2020, and PCA on January 17, 2023. Throughout his career, Abang Iskandar also helped shoulder judicial responsibilities when some of the judiciary's top four positions were vacant and had yet to be filled. He served as acting PCA from November 2022 until his appointment as PCA in January 2023, and had also served as acting Chief Judge of Malaya from March to November 2024 until the position was filled by the current CJM Tan Sri Hasnah Mohammed Hashim.
