Meet Malaysia's new top three judges

New Straits Times

5 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR: The Chief Registrar's Office, in a statement issued at midnight, has confirmed the appointments of three top judicial figures, ending days of speculation over the leadership reshuffle within the country's judiciary.
According to the statement, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, consented to the appointment of Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh as the new Chief Justice of Malaysia, in accordance with Article 122B(1) of the Federal Constitution.
Datuk Abu Bakar Jais has been named as President of the Court of Appeal, while Datuk Azizah Nawawi has been appointed Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak.
Here are their profiles:
A former Umno member, Wan Ahmad Farid, 62, began his public service career as a senator in December 2005 before being appointed Deputy Home Minister from March 2008 to April 2009.
He also contested the Terengganu by-election in 2009 but was narrowly defeated. He formally exited politics in 2013.
In November 2024, he was elevated to the Court of Appeal, one of eight judges appointed in a ceremony presided over by the then Yang di-Pertuan Agong at Istana Negara.
During his time on the bench, Wan Ahmad Farid delivered several notable rulings, particularly in cases involving constitutional issues and civil liberties.
In February last year, he ruled that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's power to proclaim an emergency under Article 150 of the Federal Constitution was non-justiciable, citing the principle of separation of powers.
He has also presided over cases involving challenges to the jurisdiction of the Syariah Court, as well as disputes concerning the allocation of public resources.
Wan Ahmad Farid voluntarily recused himself from hearing Datuk Seri Najib Razak's application to allow a foreign Queen's Counsel to represent him in the SRC International appeal, citing potential perceived conflicts because of his political past and family ties to Umno.
Abu Bakar, 60, from Muar, Johor, is widely regarded for his legal acumen and steady presence on the bench in several high-profile cases.
His judicial career began with his appointment as a judicial commissioner on July 7, 2013, before being confirmed as a High Court judge on Mar 21, 2016. He was subsequently elevated to the Court of Appeal on Dec 5, 2019.
He took his oath of office as a Federal Court judge on June 13, 2023, before then Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat at the Palace of Justice.
Among the major cases he has presided over was the review application in Najib's SRC International case. He was part of the five-member bench that heard the matter on August 23, 2022.
He also led the three-member panel that heard the appeal involving the tragic fire incident at Tahfiz Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah.
In May this year, Abu Bakar authored the majority judgment in a landmark ruling which held that Syariah Courts are not inferior to civil courts, stating that they are constitutionally recognised and their decisions are binding in law.
Beyond the courtroom, he has contributed to the development of legal scholarship by co-authoring Malaysia's first book on statutory interpretation, launched in May 2023.
Azizah, who is currently serving as a Court of Appeal judge, was elevated to the appellate bench on Aug 8, 2019, after previously serving as a High Court judge from Sept 12, 2014.
In October 2023, she recused herself from hearing Najib's appeal to reinstate a lawsuit against former Attorney-General Tan Sri Tommy Thomas in the interest of judicial impartiality, as her husband, Datuk Nik Suhaimi Nik Sulaiman, had served in the Attorney-General's Chambers during Thomas's tenure.
She was also part of a three-member panel in August 2023 that dismissed a woman's appeal to renounce Islam, reaffirming the constitutional jurisdiction of the Syariah Court under Article 121(1A) of the Federal Constitution.