PUTRAJAYA: For almost six years, Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat has faced trials and public criticism during her tenure as Chief Justice – but remained determined to perform her duties without losing sleep over it.
In her speech as the outgoing Chief Justice as she is expected to retire in July, Tengku Maimun reflected on her journey leading the judiciary at the Opening of the Legal Year 2025 at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) on Wednesday (Jan 8).
"As Chief Justice, I have been criticised, vilified, labelled un-Islamic or an enemy of Islam. My husband (unfairly so) has been used against me in some applications to not only have me recused but more generally to embarrass my colleagues and me.
"None of them have or ever will pass the test of my conscience, and praise be to Allah, I have not once lost sleep over these comments," she said.
Tengku Maimun shared that at the beginning of her appointment as the first female Chief Justice, she was asked what she would do if the Executive or any influential parties requested her to decide a case in a certain way.
She said her answer was that she would not bend or bow to any person, no matter how high and mighty.
"I am here to do my job. I never coveted it, but by the Grace of Allah SWT, I was entrusted to lead the judiciary," she said.
The top judge further said she served as Chief Justice under four prime ministers from different political affiliations; Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, and presently, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
"During this time, judicial panels led by me have made what we firmly believed to be correct decisions on the law and facts, regardless of the heated political overtones and undertones that clothed some of these cases.
This alone should dispel any baseless notion that I have ever been partial to any particular prime minister or any political party," she added.
