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DATUK Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh has been appointed the new Chief Justice of Malaysia, succeeding Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, who retired on July 2.
The Office of the Chief Registrar of the Federal Court in a statement said that in line with Clause (1) of Article 122B of the Federal Constitution, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong consented to Wan Ahmad Farid's appointment based on the advice of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Also appointed are Federal Court judges Datuk Abu Bakar Jais as the President of the Court of Appeal and Datuk Azizah Nawawi as the Chief Judge of the High Court in Sabah and Sarawak, replacing the outgoing Chief Judge who is set to retire.
The official swearing-in and presentation of the appointment letters will take place on July 28 at Istana Negara, before the King.
Wan Ahmad Farid, 62, was appointed as a judicial commissioner on Dec 16, 2015, and later made a High Court judge on Aug 8, 2019.
He was appointed a Court of Appeal Judge on Nov 12 last year.
Abu Bakar, 63, on the other hand, will fill the post of Court of Appeal president left vacant by Tan Sri Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim, who retired on July 3, while Azizah, 63, will be replacing Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Sebli, who will retire on July 25.
Wan Ahmad Farid began his judicial career in 2015 as a Judicial Commissioner, serving in the High Courts of Shah Alam, Kuala Lumpur, and Kota Bharu until 2019.
He was then elevated to High Court Judge from 2019 to 2024, with postings in Kota Bharu, Shah Alam (Special Powers Division), and Kuala Lumpur (Special Powers Division 3).
According to Bernama, in 2024, he played a key role in a landmark ruling involving a constitutional suit filed by lawyer Dr Syed Iskandar Syed Jaafar Al Mahdzar, which challenged the powers of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in declaring a state of emergency.
In his judgment, Wan Ahmad Farid held that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s authority to declare an emergency under Article 150 of the Federal Constitution is a prerogative power that is non-justiciable and beyond the court’s review.
Wan Ahmad Farid was also among the members of the panel of judges who heard a case involving a dispute over 263.272 acres of land dubbed ‘Duta Enclave’ involving Semantan Estate Sdn Bhd in the Federal Court. - July 18, 2025