Wednesday 2.7.2025.
For maybe the last decade I've been playing golf once or twice weekly with three former judges. How that came about merits another story. The point is, I get caught with judicial stories, and the current one is about the "quiet" retirement of the country's first lady CJ. I thought that fact alone should merit the "conventional" practice of a 6-month extension as a show of appreciation. Why, Najib even gave one past CJ a 2-year extension that he accepted, knowing full well the legal extension was for only 6 months. When this was later legally challenged, he knew the game was up and resigned promptly and avoided the likely shameful proceedings looming.
We were exchanging notes at the club this morning. The 3 of us, other than the solo ex Appeal Court Judge, are non-lawyers. We more or less agreed that the retired CJ best go quietly. The public would sympathize with her and condemn PMX.
The awarding of the traditional 6-month extension would have been a well-deserved honour for the first lady CJ of Malaysia. Getting to the bench itself would have been something special, what more to have reached the pinnacle of the Judicial position.
This glaring disregard for such meritorious service-recognition speaks loudly of the perpetrator more than the victim. Any reservation for the due honour cannot be understood, much less accepted. Lately more than one bearer of prominent posts of various government departments have been promoted, or the tenure extended, when negative stories hounded them. What negativities has the retired CJ been implicated with ?
My call to Tun Tunku Maimun is, relax and enjoy your well-earned retirement. Let the petty-minded, nay, ex convict, gloat in his temporary hold of the power of office, exposing his meanness and lack of class. God Knows.
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