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Malay Mail
28-07-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Ex-CJ Tengku Maimun says Federal Court was free of pressure during her tenure, cites dissenting decisions as proof
PUTRAJAYA, July 28 — Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat today dismissed the idea that she had influenced Federal Court decisions during her six-year tenure as the country's top judge. The recently retired judge pointed to her own dissenting judgments in constitutional cases as proof that judges had decided cases independently. 'For the past six years, the Federal Court had decided 19 cases involving various issues of constitutional law,' she told reporters at the Palace of Justice here, after the swearing-in ceremony of Datuk Abu Bakar Jais and Datuk Azizah Nawawi as the president of the Court of Appeal and the chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak respectively. 'And out of that 19 cases, I was dissenting in five cases. So I think statistically, five out of 19 represents about 25 per cent of the dissenting judgments.' Tengku Maimun said this showed judges were free from pressure, including from herself when she was chief justice. 'So I think that fact alone would manifest that judges decided independently without fear or favour, without external or internal pressure. 'Because if I had any influence on their decisions, then surely I would not be dissenting in five out of 19 cases involving especially constitutional law.' Tengku Maimun was asked about a recent speech by Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Sebli who recently retired as chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak and had alleged interference in a Federal Court case involving constitutional issues. 'Let's not make it a contest of words between two people or more than two people. Perhaps I can just share some facts,' she replied, before going on to cite the statistics where she had been the dissenting judge in about 25 per cent of constitutional cases at the Federal Court. Datuk Abdul Rahman Sebli is pictured during his swearing-in ceremony as a new chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya on January 17, 2023. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa Just before his retirement on July 25, Abdul Rahman had on July 23 in a farewell event in Kuching, Sarawak alleged that a senior judge had put pressure on him by criticising his draft judgment when he was still relatively junior as a Federal Court judge, but did not name the purported judge. In that speech, Abdul Rahman said he had stood by his draft judgment and it became a majority judgment as it was supported by three other judges, while three judges dissented and disagreed with his decision in that constitutional case. Tengku Maimun retired earlier this month after serving as the first woman chief justice in Malaysia. She said her retirement has been 'good'. 'Alhamdulillah, feeling very free, enjoying quiet moments,' she said. She also congratulated those appointed to new roles in the judiciary today.
Malay Mail
28-07-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Malaysia gets first woman Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak, fills all top judicial posts
PUTRAJAYA, July 28 — Federal Court judge Datuk Abu Bakar Jais was sworn in today as the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), while Court of Appeal judge Datuk Azizah Nawawi became the first woman to become the Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak (CJSS). The two took their oath of office and loyalty during a ceremony at the Palace of Justice here. Earlier in the morning, Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh was appointed and sworn in as the Chief Justice (CJ) of Malaysia at Istana Negara. Tan Sri Hasnah Mohammed Hashim will continue on as Chief Judge of Malaya until her retirement in November; she was elevated to the judiciary's third-highest position last November. With these appointments, all four of Malaysia's top judicial positions have now been filled following the retirement of the previous CJ, PCA and CJSS earlier this month. This afternoon, six individuals were appointed as Court of Appeal judges, namely Shahnaz Sulaiman, Datin Evrol Mariette Peters, Ong Chee Kwan, Datuk Mohd Radzi Abdul Hamid, Leonard David Shim, and Nadzarin Wok Nordin. Fourteen judicial commissioners were also elevated to High Court judges today, including Maslinda @ Linda Mohd Ainal, Datuk Faridz Gohim Abdullah, Choong Yeow Choy, Saiful Azian Mokhtar, Evawani Farisyta Mohamad and Indra Nehru Savandiah. Others appointed as High Court judges are Sumathi Murugiah, Moses Susayan, Kan Weng Hin, Wendy Ooi Su Ghee, Mohd Rosli Yusoff, Hazlina Hussain, Roszianayati Ahmad and Mohamad Haldar Abdul Aziz. Among those present at the oath-taking ceremony were former chief justices Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, Tun Md Raus Sharif and Tun Arifin Zakaria, as well as Malaysian Bar president Mohamad Ezri Abdul Wahab.
Malay Mail
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Chief Judge of Malaya Hasnah, now temporarily carrying out Chief Justice's duties, will herself retire in four months' time
KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 — Chief Judge of Malaya (CJM) Tan Sri Hasnah Mohammed Hashim, who is now temporarily performing the Chief Justice's duties until a new one is appointed, will herself retire by mid-November this year. Malaysia's judiciary has four top judges: Chief Justice (CJ) — now vacant President of the Court of Appeal (PCA) — now vacant Chief Judge of Malaya (CJM) — held by Hasnah, who will retire this November Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak (CJSS) — held by Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Sebli, who will retire this month The CJ post became vacant when Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat's six-year tenure ended on July 1, while the second-highest post PCA fell vacant when Tan Sri Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim's tenure of more than two years and five months ended on July 2. Both Tengku Maimun and Abang Iskandar had retired as they had reached the mandatory retirement age for judges of 66 on July 2 (yesterday) and July 3 (today) respectively, and had not been offered a six-month extension. Hasnah herself turned 66 on May 15 this year, but is currently serving as CJM on a six-month extension until November 14 this year. Abdul Rahman turned 66 on January 25, and will continue serving as CJSS until July 24 this year, which is the day before he reaches the age of 66 years and six months. Under the Federal Constitution's Article 125, Federal Court judges' tenures shall be until 66 years old, but their tenures can be extended by six months if the Yang di-Pertuan Agong approves it. The top four judges in the judiciary regularly sit as Federal Court judges when deciding on cases at the Federal Court level, besides carrying out their administrative duties in ensuring the smooth running of the Federal Court, Court of Appeal and High Court. At the time of writing, there has been no announcements of who will be the next CJ and the next PCA, which are the two top posts in the judiciary. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil was yesterday reported saying that the Cabinet had in its weekly meeting yesterday had only briefly mentioned the matter of the next CJ and that the issue was not discussed in depth While waiting for the next CJ to be selected and appointed, the judiciary today announced that Hasnah will be performing the CJ's duties until then. Hasnah will be doing the CJ's duties while also handling the CJM's administration duties involving the High Courts throughout Peninsular Malaysia.
