Chief Justice Tengku Maimun deserves praise, not condemnation

OUR Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat’s speech on April 8 at the 24th Common­wealth Law Conference in Malta has attracted a variety of comments – some very measured and moderate, and some extremely unfair and ill-informed.

Tengku Maimun was invited to speak on “Judicial Independence and Parliamentary Sovereignty”. By its very nature, the topic was controversial because it required her to enlighten the audience that in Malaysia, Parliament is NOT supreme. Instead, the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. The judiciary has been entrusted with the task of preserving and protecting the Constitution and the citizens against executive and legislative overreach, if that ever occurs.