By Media Selangor Team
SHAH ALAM, July 17 — The selection of the country’s top judges must be done transparently and meticulously to uphold the rule of law and the principles of justice in national governance, said Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj.
His Royal Highness said this in a statement today after chairing the 269th Meeting of the Conference of Rulers yesterday, which, among other things, discussed the appointment of top judicial posts including the Chief Justice, Court of Appeal president, the Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak, as well as judges of the superior courts.
During the meeting, Sultan Sharafuddin stressed the importance of adhering strictly to legal provisions, especially Article 122B of the Federal Constitution, which stipulates the procedures and process of appointing senior members of the judiciary.
“In this matter, I fully support the statement issued by Istana Negara on July 10, which affirms that the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong has the authority to appoint the Chief Justice, the Court of Appeal president, and other key positions in the judiciary, upon the advice of the prime minister and after consulting the Conference of Rulers.
“This process provided under the Federal Constitution must be conducted with transparency and utmost care to preserve the sovereignty of the law and uphold the principles of justice that are the foundation of the nation’s governance,” he said.
The Sultan also cautioned all parties against making speculative statements or unfounded accusations without obtaining complete and verified facts regarding the matter.
The meeting yesterday was attended by Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail, Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah, Sultan of Kedah Al-Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah, Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, Tengku Mahkota of Kelantan Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra, Tunku Temenggong of Johor Tunku Idris Iskandar Sultan Ibrahim, and Tengku Arif Bendahara of Pahang Tengku Muhammad Iskandar Ri’ayatuddin Shah.
Yang Dipertua Negeri of Sarawak Tun Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, Yang Dipertua Negeri of Melaka Tun Dr Mohd Ali Rustam, Yang Dipertua Negeri of Sabah Tun Musa Aman, and Yang Dipertua Negeri of Penang Tun Ramli Ngah Talib also attended the meeting.
On July 15, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, attended the pre-council meeting of the Conference of Rulers, also at Istana Negara.
Yesterday's meeting comes amid a prolonged leadership vacuum in the judiciary following the mandatory retirement of some of the top judges earlier this month, including former chief justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat and former Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim.
Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Hasnah Mohammed Hashim and Federal Court Judge Datuk Zabariah Mohd Yusof will temporarily assume the responsibilities of the two posts until official appointments are made.
