Latest news with #WanAhmadFaridWanSalleh
Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Man probed over ‘offensive' post on royals, CJ appointment
The suspect having his statement recorded by the MCMC enforcement officer at the Kampung Melayu Subang police station. (MCMC pic) PETALING JAYA : The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission is investigating a man for posting an allegedly offensive social media comment on the royal institution involving the recent appointment of the chief justice. MCMC said the man had his statement recorded at the Kampung Melayu Subang police station on July 21. His mobile phone and SIM card were seized to assist in the investigation. The case is being investigated under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for improper use of network facilities, punishable by a maximum RM500,000 fine, up to two years in jail, or both, upon conviction. In a statement, MCMC reminded the public to avoid sharing content that is offensive, seditious or defamatory, particularly those involving the royal institution, as it could threaten public order and national harmony. Last Friday, it said it was investigating another person for allegedly uploading offensive remarks about the judiciary. Justice Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh was appointed chief justice last week, replacing Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, who retired earlier this month. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong also consented to the appointments of Justices Abu Bakar Jais and Azizah Nawawi as Court of Appeal president and chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak, respectively.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Anwar denies last-minute switch in CJ pick, says vilified for one week just because process was still ongoing
PUTRAJAYA, July 21 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has reportedly denied claims of a last-minute change in the proposed candidate for Chief Justice. He said today that the appointment had already been submitted and approved by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong earlier in accordance with the Federal Constitution. 'They said the [judicial] system was compromised. There were those who wanted to politicise the issue,' he said at the monthly assembly of the Prime Minister's Department as quoted by New Straits Times. 'For a week, we were criticised, with claims that the prime minister did not respond. How could I respond at that time when the [judicial appointment] process was still ongoing?' He explained that under Article 122B of the Federal Constitution, the appointment of the Chief Justice requires the prime minister's recommendation and the King's consent after consultation with the Conference of Rulers. Court of Appeal Judge Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh will be sworn in as the country's 17th Chief Justice on July 28, succeeding Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, who retired on July 2. Datuk Abu Bakar Jais has been appointed as the new president of the Court of Appeal, while Datuk Azizah Nawawi has been appointed Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak. Anwar said earlier this week that 8 newly appointed Court of Appeal judges and 14 High Court judges are scheduled to be sworn in on July 28, with no judges removed. The appointments came following a purported leak from a Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) meeting, which came hot on the heels of allegations that there had been attempts to influence the appointments of new judges. The claim later prompted nine government backbenchers to call for a Royal Commission of Inquiry, with Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail confirming an investigation into the matter.
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Top judicial picks are excellent choices, says retired judge
THE appointment of Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh as the new Chief Justice of Malaysia (CJ) should be of little concern to the public. He has an impeccable service record as a lawyer and a judge for nearly 10 years. Those who know him will say that he is a pleasant man of integrity with the administrative skill to authoritatively manage all the courts and registrars, ensuring all support facilities are available for Magistrate, Sessions, and Superior Court judges to function efficiently. It is important to remember that the Chief Justice's post is administrative in nature, and he also sits as a Federal Court judge. His job as a Federal Court judge is a simple one: he just has to sit in the coram, which will have subject matter expertise, listen to the submissions, and deliver his grounds of judgment, whatever they may be. A productive Chief Justice will ensure all coram members write their grounds in important cases to ensure accountability and transparency to the public. Former Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi was an excellent administrator as well as a judge. I am confident Wan Ahmad Farid will show leadership qualities for all judges to write judgments. I also do not believe he will simply put his name to claim it is the judgment of the Federal Court without others writing theirs. The appointments of Datuk Abu Bakar Jais as Court of Appeal President and Datuk Azizah Nawawi as the Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak are also laudable. Both Abu Bakar and Azizah have carved their names as efficient and integral judges by demonstrating the ability to write dissenting judgments as well. Malaysians are fortunate to have these top judges. The Malay rulers have made the right choice. Moving forward, it will be interesting to see whether there will be a review of past cases. It is a popular belief among jurists and in the media that Federal Court judgments on criminal cases are final. This proposition is not correct. The Federal Court can always review its decision if it can be patently shown that the accused was persecuted against the norm of prosecutorial fairness, or that the court did not facilitate a fair trial, or if there was a conflict of interest or patent bias. Restoring public confidence in the judiciary is key. Will our new Chief Justice follow in the footsteps of Tun Zaki in doing so? Only time will tell.
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Top judicial appointments excellent choices - A retired judge's perspective
THE appointment of Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh as the new Chief Justice of Malaysia (CJ) should be of little concern to the public. He has an impeccable service record as a lawyer and a judge for nearly 10 years. Those who know him will say that he is a pleasant man of integrity with the administrative skill to authoritatively manage all the courts and registrars, ensuring all support facilities are available for Magistrate, Sessions, and Superior Court judges to function efficiently. It is important to remember that the Chief Justice's post is administrative in nature, and he also sits as a Federal Court judge. His job as a Federal Court judge is a simple one: he just has to sit in the coram, which will have subject matter expertise, listen to the submissions, and deliver his grounds of judgment, whatever they may be. A productive Chief Justice will ensure all coram members write their grounds in important cases to ensure accountability and transparency to the public. Former Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi was an excellent administrator as well as a judge. I am confident Wan Ahmad Farid will show leadership qualities for all judges to write judgments. I also do not believe he will simply put his name to claim it is the judgment of the Federal Court without others writing theirs. The appointments of Datuk Abu Bakar Jais as Court of Appeal President and Datuk Azizah Nawawi as the Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak are also laudable. Both Abu Bakar and Azizah have carved their names as efficient and integral judges by demonstrating the ability to write dissenting judgments as well. Malaysians are fortunate to have these top judges. The Malay rulers have made the right choice. Moving forward, it will be interesting to see whether there will be a review of past cases. It is a popular belief among jurists and in the media that Federal Court judgments on criminal cases are final. This proposition is not correct. The Federal Court can always review its decision if it can be patently shown that the accused was persecuted against the norm of prosecutorial fairness, or that the court did not facilitate a fair trial, or if there was a conflict of interest or patent bias. Restoring public confidence in the judiciary is key. Will our new Chief Justice follow in the footsteps of Tun Zaki in doing so? Only time will tell.
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Is Wan Ahmad Farid's appointment with reformist intent?
Ibrahim M Ahmad There can be no doubt that the appointment of Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh as the country's new chief justice has raised many eyebrows. The talk in town over the last couple of days—when rumours of his appointment were rife—was that his name came out of nowhere, especially because he is not one of the sitting Federal Court judge. In fact, Wan Ahmad Farid is one of the more junior Court of Appeal judges. He ranks 26th among the 29 judges of the Court of Appeal in terms of seniority. He has been a judge for close to 10 years. He was appointed judicial commissioner in 2015, and High Court judge in 2019. He was elevated to the appeals court on Nov 12 last year. Indeed, his has been a meteoric rise, suggesting that the prime minister and the Conference of Rulers believe him to be the right man to lead the judiciary at a pivotal moment. But in what sense? Is this appointment made with reformist intent? One thing that it does show is that rumours of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim recommending former attorney-general Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh for the post were wide of the mark. Likewise, no one can claim that Wan Ahmad Farid was a political appointment by Anwar. After all, Wan Ahmad Farid is an Umno man. That should put to rest once and for all accusations that the prime minister has been meddling with the judiciary. Wan Ahmad Farid's trajectory has been unusual: political aide to then prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (2003-2008); senator (2005-2009); deputy home minister (2008-2009). In 2009 he contested a by-election for the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat, but lost to a PAS candidate. He then returned to law practice before being appointed a judicial commissioner. Lawyers tend to champion longevity in service and seniority when identifying their preferred candidates for the top post. Wan Ahmad Farid has neither. That has left many wondering what he will bring. Some fear his political background will see him cozy up to the executive, but to his credit, Wan Ahmad Farid has previously recused himself from hearing politically sensitive cases involving Anwar and Najib Razak, citing public perception and judicial integrity. The hope is that he will bring transformation, like Zaki Azmi and Yong Pung How did. Zaki's appointment as lord president was just as contentious, maybe even more so. A practising lawyer, he was appointed directly to the Federal Court bench in September 2007, made president of the Court of Appeal by December, and took over as lord president in October 2008. At the time, his appointment was heavily criticised, given his close links to Umno. Yet Zaki's tenure was marked by aggressive reform. He tackled case backlogs, monitored judicial output, introduced the electronic filing system, streamlined court procedures, and implemented regular judicial training. He was also one of the main movers of the Judicial Appointments Commission, established in 2009, aimed at depoliticising judicial selection. Was Wan Ahmad Farid the JAC's pick? That information is not in the public domain. Yong Pung How's appointment as Singapore's chief justice was just as unconventional. A partner at Shook Lin & Bok until 1970, Yong left the legal profession to join the banking sector, and went on to become managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Handpicked by then prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, he returned to the judiciary in 1989 and was appointed chief justice the following year. Yong brought in a host of changes to a then sluggish judiciary. He modernised the Singapore legal system by introducing electronic filing, and sped up the disposal of cases by reforming processes at all levels. Wan Ahmad Farid will serve as chief justice until November 2028, when he turns 66, the mandatory retirement age for judges. That gives him slightly more than three years in office. How he makes his mark is left to be seen. Ibrahim M Ahmad is an FMT reader. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
