CJ Says Yet To Receive Offer For Tenure Extension

PUTRAJAYA, May 20 (Bernama) — Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat has confirmed that she has yet to receive any offer for a six-month extension of her tenure.

Tengku Maimun, the first woman to serve as the country’s top judge, is scheduled to retire on June 30 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 66.

“It may be coming, so we will wait. So as for now, not yet,” she responded to questions from the media after attending the oath-taking ceremony for three judges.

“At the moment, we’re still waiting on extensions for three of us — myself, Tan Sri Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim and Tan Sri Nallini Pathmanathan,” she said.

When asked whether she would accept the offer to extend her service, she replied, “I don’t think I should answer that, but we will wait”.

Abang Iskandar, President of the Court of Appeal, is due to retire on July 1, while Federal Court judge Tan Sri Nallini Pathmanathan reaches the mandatory retirement age on Aug 21.

Under Article 125(1) of the Federal Constitution, Federal Court judges may serve until age 66, with the possibility of a six-month extension subject to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s approval.

At the same ceremony, Court of Appeal judge Datuk Lee Swee Seng, 65, took his oath of office and allegiance as a Federal Court judge before Tengku Maimun.

Lee, a former lawyer from Penang, was appointed Judicial Commissioner on May 31, 2010, and confirmed as a High Court judge on Feb 19, 2014. He was elevated to the Court of Appeal on May 19, 2019.

He recently presided over a Court of Appeal panel in the government’s appeal over the ownership transfer of 263.272 acres in Duta Enclave. A decision is scheduled for June 24.

High Court judges Datuk Hayatul Akmal Abdul Aziz and Datuk Dr Lim Hock Leng, both 63, also took their oath of office and allegiance as Court of Appeal judges before Court of Appeal President Tan Sri Abang Iskandar.

Hayatul Akmal, from Batu Pahat, Johor, was appointed Judicial Commissioner on Dec 16, 2015, and elevated to the High Court on April 8, 2019.

Lim, a native of Tawau, Sabah, was appointed Judicial Commissioner on March 30, 2018, and promoted to High Court judge on March 25, 2020.

Earlier in the day, the King, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, granted an audience and presented the instruments of appointment to all three judges at Istana Negara.

Also present were Chief Judge of Malaya Datuk Seri Hasnah Mohammed Hashim, Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Datuk Abdul Rahman Sebli and Attorney-General Datuk Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar.

— BERNAMA