Chief Justice Zaki Azmi now stable, still in IJN

Controversial Chief Justice Zaki Azmi is now in stable condition after complaining of a chest pain while on his way to his office in Putrajaya this morning.

According national news agency Bernama, he had asked his bodyguard to send him to the Putrajaya Hospital for a check-up. He was rushed to the National Heart Institute or IJN at round 10.30am.

Zaki's appointment had been hotly opposed as he was Umno's lawyer and there were grave doubts about his neutrality in key cases involving the party and its ruling elite.

Zaki also stirred controversy when he set a deadline for the huge backlog of cases within Malaysia's sleepy and disgraced judiciary system to be cleared. The 65-year old, who was made Chief Justice in October 2008, is due to retire in September.

- Malaysia Chronicle

Meanwhile, Malaysiakini reported:

CJ did not fall, reports dismissed
Monday, May 23 @ 07:42:51 CDT

Zaki Azmi's office has disputed a news report that he fell this morning, saying the CJ had only undergone a 'health check'. Chief Justice Zaki Azmi Chief Justice Zaki Azmi was referred to the National Heart Institute (or IJN), after he suffered chest pains this morning. Bernama reported that Zaki was on his way to his office in Putrajaya when this happened. Zaki then asked his bodyguard to take him to the Putrajaya Hospital for a check up and was later referred to the IJN. An IJN official, when contacted by Bernama, confirmed that Zaki was admitted about 10.30am. His condition was reported to be 'stable'. The Federal Court's communications department has also disputed media accounts about Zaki's condition. “ ... news reports today ... that the CJ had suffered a fall while at Putrajaya Hospital are untrue,” said public relations officer Yasmin Abdul Razak in a statement this afternoon. Zaki had gone to the hospital for a “health check” and was “subsequently referred to IJN for further treatment”, she said. In a news flash this morning, Utusan Malaysia had reported that Zaki was "in critical condition" and that he was believed to be suffering from low blood pressure and heart problems. Zaki began his career at the Attorney-General's Chambers in 1969 and became a senior federal counsel at the Home Affairs Ministry in 1976, before going into private practice as an advocate and solicitor in 1985. In 2004, he was appointed to the royal commission of inquiry into the management and operations of the police force. He was legal adviser to Umno prior to his appointment as Federal Court judge. The sixth person to hold the top judicial post, Zaki was appointed on Oct 21, 2008, succeeding Abdul Hamid Mohamed. Prior to that, he was a Federal Court judge and President of the Court of Appeal.