CJ warns of action against judges yet to declare assets
Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat has instructed all the members of the judiciary to declare all their assets.
This comes after allegations that implicated judges in corrupt practices.
Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat has instructed all the members of the judiciary to declare all their assets.
This comes after allegations that implicated judges in corrupt practices.
"I want to stress that the judiciary looks seriously at corruption allegations involving the judges, especially lower rank judges," she said today in her speech at the swearing-in ceremony for 15 judges.
"The judiciary has also taken preventive action against corrupt acts," she said.
Among others, she said she has made it compulsory for all judges to declare their assets as stated in a 2012 circular.
She has also instructed that the declaration of assets should be implemented "effectively".
"Judges who fail to declare their assets will have appropriate action taken against them," she added.
She warned that any judge or member of the judiciary proven to have obtained assets via illegal means, would be referred to the MACC.
Declaring newly acquired assets
When met later, Tengku Maimun told the media that all judges have typically declared their assets every three years.
However, she said the judiciary was trying to tighten the process to encourage judges to declare newly acquired assets.
"....We are giving a reminder that if you acquire new assets, then you need not wait until three years, just let us know," she said.
"On our part, we will keep issuing letters and reminders to the judges (so the judiciary) officers always adhere to the code of ethics," she added.
Meanwhile, Tengku Maimun declined to comment on former Federal Court judge Gopal Sri Ram's proposal for the government to hold an internal inquiry regarding alleged judicial misconduct, instead of a royal commission of inquiry (RCI).
"No comment (from me) because the government had already made an announcement way back on the establishment of the RCI.
"I don't think it is for me to say anything which (can) affect the decision that has been made on the RCI," she said.
Sri Ram said that an RCI was inappropriate as it would violate the constitutional doctrine of separation of powers.
In an affidavit dated Feb 14, Court of Appeal judge Hamid Sultan Abu Backer alleged interference in a 2016 Court of Appeal majority decision to uphold the late Karpal Singh's conviction for sedition.
Despite the government announcing in February that an RCI would be established to probe Hamid's allegations of widespread corruption and abuses within the judiciary, the commission has yet to materialise.
The government said it needed to wait until former Sabah chief minister Yong Teck Lee's bid to stop the setting up of the RCI is disposed of in court before embarking on the inquiry.
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