FORMER Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat has described political leaders as “among the biggest threats” to the Federal Constitution, urging greater seriousness in safeguarding the nation's highest laws.
“The biggest threat (to the Federal Constitution) is politicians. I think there’s no need for further elaboration,” she said, responding to a question during her lecture at the Allianz Centre for Governance’s forum titled ‘The Sanctity of Malaysia’s Federal Constitution: Threats, Solutions and Impact on National Governance’, held at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.
Addressing concerns over delays in appointing top judges, Tengku Maimun dismissed claims of major postponement, stating that judicial appointments must go through a specific process.
“To be honest, I do not view it as a significant delay because the appointment has to go through the Conference of Rulers,” she said. “As we know, the Conference of Rulers typically meets on the matter only every four to five years.”
She noted that while the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) may submit a list of candidates early on, the final appointments still require consultation and adherence to established procedures.
“So, I don’t consider the delay a fault because we must go through several stages,” she added.
Commenting on the recent leak of JAC meeting minutes, which went viral on social media, Tengku Maimun emphasised that such disclosures should never happen in principle. “The content of such meetings should not be shared externally as it can trigger various perceptions,” she said.
When asked if she had ever experienced interference during her tenure as Chief Justice, she replied that no such attempts occurred during most of her service — though there were signs of pressure near the end.
“There were indications of attempted interference towards the final stages of my tenure,” she revealed.
Reflecting on her role as the nation’s top judge, she stressed that all rulings were made based on facts and fair consideration, without influence from any external factors. “In court, we are blind. Not to religion, not to race, not to anything,” she said.
Tengku Maimun affirmed her belief that the same principle of impartiality is upheld by judges across the judiciary. - August 19, 2025
