All eyes will be on the Federal Court in Putrajaya tomorrow to see if a full bench will be constituted to preside over a judicial review in a case where a land deal had gone sour.

The application for the full bench and an affidavit-in-support was submitted last month, following allegations that a former senior judge had favoured one party in the case, and is purported to be on the take.

 

NONE Halaman Perdana Sdn Bhd, along with former Malaysia Airlines chairperson Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman (right) and Chang Yao Kuang, filed the application.

It is rare for a full bench to be empaneled in the Federal Court, the highest in the country. The panel has to comprise an odd number, making it a maximum of 11 judges.

It was also learnt that a “Tan Sri” and the Bar Council had referred a complaint against the ex-judge last month to Chief Justice Arifin Zakaria and to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

In addition to Justice Arifin, the other three senior judges who normally sit in the Federal Court are the Court of Appeal president Md Raus Sharif, Chief Judge of Malaya Zulkefli Ahmad Makinuddin, Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Richard Malanjum.

The other eight Federal Court judges are Justices Hashim Yusof, Abdull Hamid Embong, Suriyadi Halim Omar, Ahmad Maarop, Hasan Lah, Zaleha Zahari, Zainun Ali and Jeffrey Tan Kok Wha.

The case involves the purchase of a 60 ha plot of land in Serendah, Selangor, in 1994.

Following alleged failure to complete payment, Tasik Bayangan Sdn Bhd had sought a refund of close to RM3 million in 1999.

It won its case in the Shah Alam High Court and at the Court of Appeal, leading to the application for judicial review by Halaman Perdana.

The last application for a full bench had been made during the ‘Perak constitutional crisis’ case in 2010 but it was rejected.