Seek audience with king to fill chief judge’s post, Zaid tells CJ

 

Zaid Ibrahim said Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat’s successor must share her qualities to ensure continuity of her excellent leadership of the judiciary.

PETALING JAYA: 

A former law minister has urged Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat to seek an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to expedite the appointment of the next chief judge of Malaya, a post which has been vacant for almost seven months.

Zaid Ibrahim said the CJM’s post is crucial since it is likely to be occupied by someone who will eventually succeed Tengku Maimun as chief justice.

Tengku Maimun’s successor must share her qualities to ensure continuity of her excellent leadership of the judiciary, he said in a post on X.

Zaid said Tengku Maimun, who made history by becoming the first woman to occupy the judiciary’s top post and presided over several 

groundbreaking decisions

 issued by the Federal Court, could tarnish her reputation as an administrator if she allows the post to remain vacant.

The chief justice, as chairman of the commission, has to visit and seek an audience with the king to get the commission’s recommendation approved,

 he wrote, referring to the Judicial Appointments Commission.

On Saturday, FMT reported that the JAC had intended to recommend one of the more junior Federal Court judges as CJM to replace Zabidin Diah, who went on mandatory retirement on Feb 29.

In March, FMT reported that the JAC had submitted the name of its nominee for the position to the Prime Minister’s Department for consideration.

Another two names were submitted later, as permitted by law. A fourth name was said to have been proposed just before the meeting of the Conference of Rulers in July.

However, the source said the matter was not discussed at the rulers’ meeting as all four candidates were relatively junior.

Zaid said the country had fought hard to set up the JAC to ensure the appropriate processes were in place for the selection of superior court judges based on merit as well as to minimise the prime minister’s political influence.

I respectfully urge the chief justice to do everything possible to ensure that the commission’s recommendation prevails in this matter,

 he said. - FMT