THE appointment of Datuk Seri Abdul Halim Aman as the new Chief Commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) comes with a strong background in the country’s judicial system, where he served extensively as a High Court judge handling complex criminal cases.
Prior to his appointment, Abdul Halim served as a High Court judge in Shah Alam, where he presided over a wide range of criminal trials. He also served as a judge in Johor between 2011 and 2013 before being elevated to the High Court bench.
His long career in the judiciary is seen as strengthening his profile as one of the more experienced legal figures within Malaysia’s justice system, particularly in criminal adjudication.
Among notable cases he handled during his tenure are several high-profile and serious criminal proceedings spanning murder, drug-related violence, corruption, and sedition.
On 25 March 2022, he sentenced a 27-year-old trader, Mohamad Shah Izwan Mohamad Zaki, to 13 years’ imprisonment after the accused was convicted of murdering his mother’s lover.
On 20 August 2021, he imposed the death penalty on a former barber after finding him guilty of murdering an 11-month-old baby girl.
The court described the act as extremely cruel, noting that the victim suffered severe injuries and sexual abuse.
On 24 October 2019, he sentenced three friends to death by hanging after they were found guilty of murdering a man three years earlier.
On 9 July 2019, he dismissed an appeal by independent preacher Wan Ji Wan Hussin, upholding a one-month jail sentence for publishing seditious remarks against the Sultan of Selangor.
On 28 February 2017, he upheld a Sessions Court decision acquitting former Secretary-General of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), Datuk Abdul Hanan Alang Endut, of 10 corruption charges involving RM59,390.
On 21 August 2015, he sentenced a gang leader to death by hanging after finding him guilty of murdering a mechanic.
His appointment to lead the MACC is expected to draw on this extensive background in criminal jurisprudence and courtroom management, particularly in complex and high-stakes cases involving public interest and serious offences. - April 25, 2026
