Ex-CJ Richard Malanjum admitted as advocate, solicitor
KUALA LUMPUR: Former chief justice Richard Malanjum has been admitted and enrolled as an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya.
Malanjum, 73, was the first judge from Borneo to serve as chief justice of Malaysia, a position he held for nine months until April 12, 2019.
Before his elevation to the Federal Court’s top post, he was chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak.
Malanjum began his legal career with the Sabah Attorney-General’s Chambers before entering private practice. He also served as president of the Sabah Law Association.
He was admitted and enrolled as a practising lawyer before High Court judge Aslam Zainuddin.
The motion for his admission was moved by lawyer Nicholas Kow, who later robed Malanjum.
Kow described Malanjum as possessing both brain and heart, which he said were crucial traits in the practice of law.
“The brain is used to argue the facts and law and persuade the court in your favour, and the heart is where there is passion in the practice of law and compassion to act for the needy.
“Malanjum possesses both these traits,” he said.
Senior federal counsel Al-Saifi Hashim, representing the Attorney-General’s Chambers, said Malanjum embraced technology in the judiciary long before virtual hearings became commonplace.
He said Malanjum drove the computerisation of the courts in Sabah and Sarawak and pioneered the mobile court programme, bringing the administration of justice to remote communities that were otherwise hours and difficult roads away from a courthouse.
“His return to legal practice is another chapter in a journey that has already shaped the courts,” he said.
Peter-Douglas Ling, representing the Bar Council, said Malanjum, as president of the Sabah Law Association, was well-versed in issues affecting lawyers.
“When he became a judge and chief justice, he looked out for the needs of lawyers.”
Ling, the Bar Council treasurer, said Malanjum should also be recognised for initiating efforts to establish a specialised environmental court.
“Although this specific court has not been implemented, his efforts are recognised as a noble attempt to advance environmental justice through formal judicial structures,” he said.
D Nimalan, representing the Kuala Lumpur Bar Committee, said Malanjum was known for his landmark judgments which had contributed to the development of constitutional law, both in majority decisions and, where necessary, in dissent.
He said Malanjum also introduced the e-review system, allowing lawyers to conduct case managements on the go, from their offices or even while on holiday.
“This facilitated the expedient disposal of justice and allowed the mundane tasks of research and drafting to be done simultaneously,” he said, crediting Malanjum with introducing the “paperless” e-Appellate/e-Bicara system as well.
Nimalan said the Malaysian Judgments Portal was also introduced under Malanjum’s leadership, allowing lawyers to access, read and learn about recent judgments free of charge even before they were reported by legal publishers.
In January 2022, Malanjum was appointed Ombudsman of the United Nations Security Council by the UN secretary-general. In December last year, he was appointed pro-chancellor of Multimedia University.
