KUCHING, July 12: The appointment of Tan Sri Richard Malanjum as the new Chief Justice of Malaysia has made history as he is the first East Malaysian to ever be appointed to head the country’s judiciary.
Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii said there was no question about Malanjum’s capability to head the Malaysian judiciary.
“As expressed before, we are confident that Malanjum will indeed carry out the duties of his office without fear or favour and will uphold the principles of justice unconditionally,” said Dr Yii in a statement today.
He said the appointment of the Chief Justice is governed by Article 122B of the Federal Constitution, whereby the Yang di-Pertuan Agong appoints the Chief Justice on the advice of the Prime Minister.
“Even before the election, we in Pakatan Harapan Sarawak have been pushing for his appointment based on his merits and also experience as the most senior Federal Court judge. He is even more senior than the present Chief Justice Md Raus Sharif, who was supposed to retire on Aug 3, 2017, but for the unconstitutional extension of his tenure for another three years on the advice of then Prime Minister (Datuk Seri) Najib Razak,” said Dr Yii.
Dr Yii opined that Malanjum’s appointment showed recognition of not only his merits and sound judgments but also of his efforts and vision to bring about the much-needed reforms to the judiciary.
“On top of that, it is also a recognition of our rightful standing within the Federation, something that wasn’t afforded under the Barisan Nasional administration,” said Dr Yii. — DayakDaily
