CJM debacle – one up for Conference of Rulers and one down for Pak Lah


The appointment of Datuk Alauddin Mohd Sheriff as the Chief Judge of Malaya is one up for the Conference of Rulers and one down for Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi — as the debacle is a major setback to the prestige and authority of the Prime Minister as a result of the seven-month constitutional impasse and crisis.

The objection of the Conference of Rulers to the earlier nominee for the Chief Judge of Malaya resulting in the seven-month constitutional deadlock has proved to be fully justified and the Prime Minister most imprudent and ill-advised to give blind support to the proposal submitted by the Chief Justice, Tun Ahmad Fairuz Abdul Halim.

The question crying out for answer is why the Prime Minister placed himself in such an embarrassing and indefensible position and for such a protracted length of time.

Isn’t there a proper mechanism to vet candidates whether for judicial appointments or promotions?

The Chief Justice must bear great responsibility for the constitutional debacle but from the constitutional standpoint, the Prime Minister cannot shirk final responsibility as the buck must stop at his desk.

Fairuz now says that he is waiting for an explanation from a Federal Court judge on his failure to write the grounds of judgments in more than 35 civil and criminal cases.

Malaysians are waiting for Fairuz himself to explain why he had not taken action for more than a month when such judicial misconduct was first reported in the media — as such failure by the Chief Justice to take prompt action against all forms of miscarriages of justice is a grave failing and misconduct for the holder of the highest judicial office in the land.

It has been reported that Fairuz had applied for a six-month extension of his tenure as chief justice as his appointment ends on Nov. 1, when he turns 66, the retirement age for judges.

Because of his judicial failings and misconduct, over the constitutional debacle over his nominee as Chief Judge of Malaya and even more important, his failure to initiate judicial reforms to restore public confidence in the independence, impartiality, integrity, quality and professionalism of judges, he should withdraw his request to the Yang di Pertuan Agong for a six-month extension to allow for a new person to helm the Malaysian judiciary to start on a new reformist slate.

  1. #1 by dawsheng on Thursday, 30 August 2007 - 2:43 pm

    “It has been reported that Fairuz had applied for a six-month extension of his tenure as chief justice as his appointment ends on Nov. 1, when he turns 66, the retirement age for judges.”

    Six months can killed a lot people due to injustice. Fairuz is not going to answer for it, so no way.

  2. #2 by madmix on Thursday, 30 August 2007 - 2:49 pm

    Pak Lah Lah is of course sleeping and left the whole exercise on his fountain of justice, CJ Fairuz, can’t really blame him other than for sleeping on the job.

  3. #3 by lakshy on Thursday, 30 August 2007 - 3:07 pm

    Fairuz should not be extended. He lied when he said that No Judge has 35 unwritten judgements. And now he is lying when he denies making such a statement. Two negatives do not a positive make!

    PM should not allow for his extension. The debacle surrounding the recommendation for Chief Judge of Malays should be enough reason to cause him to step down (with grace).

    And the PM’s denial about the rejection of his nomination also is a sign of disrespect to our Royalty. Why cant the PM just keep things simple and tell the truth? No one is going to believe him anymore.

    And if it’s not true that the proposal was rejected, why didn’t malaysia (PM/Ambassador/Foreign Minister) tell/tick Singapore’s NST off for publishing malicious news?

  4. #4 by smeagroo on Thursday, 30 August 2007 - 3:15 pm

    PM malu? Nevermind la he will take leave after Merdeka and fly away to blue yonder…….maybe for another 2 weeks.

  5. #5 by lakshy on Thursday, 30 August 2007 - 3:38 pm

    What does Fairuz mean by saying “No, I dont think I had denied” when asked about his denial that the judge had failed to write the grounds of judgement.

    I heard his denial on TV when he said categorically that “THERE IS NO JUDGE WHO HAS MORE THAN 30 UNWRITTEN JUDGEMENTS”. I was so disgusted when I heard hi say it, and I wa stelling myself that the judge concerned probaby had 27 or 28 unwritten cases and here was Fairuz not taking action about it but covering up!

    But the next day, NST exposed that there were actually more than 30 unwritten judgements!

    So dont go denying your denial. You make a mockery of our Jusctice system. The main element in justice is Truth, and you are the wrong person to uphold justice since you cannot be truthful. So please resign and leave. Do all malaysians a favour for Merdeka day!

  6. #6 by Libra2 on Thursday, 30 August 2007 - 4:20 pm

    In any other country the chief justice would have resigned. But this shameless judge wants his tenure extended.
    Where is your maruah, your Lordship?
    Even the Chairman of China Airlines ofered to resign when one his planes caught fire recently but no lives lost.

  7. #7 by boh-liao on Thursday, 30 August 2007 - 6:54 pm

    Don’t insult judges who are honorable people and do not lie. Unless we have a unique ‘Malaysia boleh’ kind here.

  8. #8 by Educator on Thursday, 30 August 2007 - 8:13 pm

    Can Yang di Pertuan Agong reject Fairuz’s application for extension?
    High drama in judiciary.

  9. #9 by AhPek on Thursday, 30 August 2007 - 8:59 pm

    The No1 Judge in the country,Tun Ahmad Fairuz Abdul Hamid, lied BIG TIME and adding to this big bunch of tongkat carrying UMNOPUTRAS, can you then not see why MALAYSIA is not screwed up BIG TIME!!!!
    Every activity in this country is so screwed that this government stinks as much as those from the banana republics like Zimbabwe,Haiti,Congo,Senegal etc.
    Only way out is for all Malaysians to vote them out in the coming GE.

  10. #10 by sheriff singh on Thursday, 30 August 2007 - 9:34 pm

    Fairuz’s failure to suggest names to fill the 2 vacancies was a tactic to ensure that he gets his extension. He had to hold all 3 positions himself, so he was “indispensible”.

    How many names had he to choose from? Was it very difficult to shortlist some names? He knew the CJ Malaya position will be vacant earlier this year, yet he did nothing?

    Hell, No! Fairuz must go!!

    And now he says he has asked that Judge with 35 unwritten judgements for an explanation? He didn’t know? He had to ask the public to tell him? What an incompetent Chief Justice who does not know anything under his nose.

    Hell, No Fairuz must go!! Immediately!!

    Does he know whether any more of his judges are in arrears in writing judgements??

    A Chief Justice who cannot ensure justice is being dispensed in his courts.

    What an a..h..e!!!

  11. #11 by sheriff singh on Thursday, 30 August 2007 - 9:55 pm

    And the PM made the announcement.

    What does it say about the independence of the Judiciary?

  12. #12 by undergrad2 on Friday, 31 August 2007 - 8:32 am

    I have no words for this PM. He should do the a favor to all Malaysians and just leave the country and apply for the citizenship of any country willing to accept him.

  13. #13 by undergrad2 on Friday, 31 August 2007 - 8:34 am

    If there is no country willing to accept him we can just put him a refugee camp along with the other illegals.

    If that fails then we should consider putting him on a slow boat to a far distant land that we do not want to know about.

  14. #14 by AhPek on Friday, 31 August 2007 - 2:55 pm

    correction-“…..can you then not see that Malaysia is screwed up BIG TIME!!!”.

  15. #15 by Billy on Friday, 31 August 2007 - 8:56 pm

    Already the legal fraternity’s integrity and credibility have been tainted by bad sheep in the profession involving many CBT cases. The judiciary is also affected because of perceived political involvement. And just as we were wondering whether things are as bad as they appeared to be, here comes the Chief Justice to put the final paku into the coffin.

  16. #16 by undergrad2 on Saturday, 1 September 2007 - 9:02 am

    When he ‘pakued’ the coffin, he did it from the inside. So that final ‘paku’ was to his own coffin.

  17. #17 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Saturday, 1 September 2007 - 7:27 pm

    YB LKS :
    “The question crying out for answer is why the Prime Minister placed himself in such an embarrassing and indefensible position and for such a protracted length of time.”

    Haven’t we seen this PM in such indefensible positions many, many times before? How many more times do we have to put up with his brand of dreamy nonsense?

    It’s high time to boot out this PM and his cabal of fawning, flattering cronies.

  18. #18 by undergrad2 on Monday, 3 September 2007 - 11:36 am

    “…embarrassing and indefensible positions” and “for such a protracted length of time”?

    For God’s sake the PM just got married! Let the old man try the first 69 positions in the Kamasutras – starting with the lotus position, the easiest!

    I don’t he’ll tie himself up in knots.

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