©The New Straits Times (Used by permission)
by AZURA ABAS
PUTRAJAYA: THE Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, is of the opinion that the judiciary will stay independent as aspired by his late father, Sultan Azlan Shah.
Sultan Nazrin expressed his confidence at a Special Reference Proceeding in honour of Sultan Azlan, saying that justice would be executed without fear or favour, and continue to be upheld by all judges in accordance with the oath of office which they had taken.
He quoted what his father had once said on the need for judges to be independent: “...the judges are independent of all — the executive, Parliament and from within themselves — and are free to act in an independent and unbiased manner.
“No member of the Government, no member of parliament, and no official of any government department has any right whatsoever to direct or influence the decision of any of the judges. It is the sure knowledge of this that gives the public confidence in judges. Judges are not beholden politically to any government...”
Sultan Nazrin said his father’s passion for the rule of law and for the independence of the judiciary was well known.
“As most of you are aware, even after stepping down from the Bench, my father continued to take a keen interest in the judiciary, and played a pivotal role in ensuring that the judiciary remained independent, through the many deliberations at the Conference of Rulers.
“My father’s love for the law and his quest for justice was ever encompassing. Whilst serving in the judiciary, he strived to uphold the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary, and to dispense justice without fear or favour.”
Sultan Nazrin said his father’s view was shared by his predecessor, the much–respected Tun Mohamed Suffian, who had said the reputation the Malaysian judiciary enjoyed of being able to decide without interference from the executive or the legislature, or indeed from anybody, had contributed to public’s confidence.
“This onerous responsibility of ensuring the independence of the judiciary is now borne by the Chief Justice (Tun Arifin Zakaria) and his fellow judges, and I am confident that the Malaysian judiciary will reach even greater heights under his stewardship.”
The late Sultan Azlan’s career in the legal service was long and illustrious as the then 37–year–old was elevated to the Bench of the High Court of Malaya, becoming the youngest judge in the Commonwealth.
In 1973, Sultan Azlan was appointed as a Federal Court Judge, and six years later, in 1979, he became Chief Justice of the High Court, an office which he held until his appointment as the Lord President of the Federal Court of Malaysia on Nov 12, 1982.
On moral and ethical values, Sultan Nazrin said his father had remained uncompromising.
“To him, the line between what is right and what is wrong is always clearly defined. It was these very traits that both he and my mother (Raja Permaisuri Tuanku Bainun) inculcated in all their children.
“And it is these values that we, the children, now appreciate even more in our adult life. For this, we are truly grateful to them.”
Sultan Nazrin was addressing a special sitting of the Federal Court yesterday, which was unprecedented for someone like himself, who is not an officer of the court.