Situasi yang agak janggal ini, di mana terdapat DUA Ketua Hakim Negara pada satu ketika yang sama mendapat pencerahan dari bekas Ketua Hakim Negara, Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad ...
Dilaporkan bahawa Tun Md Raus Sharif, Ketua Hakim Negara (KH) telah mengemukakan peletakan jawatannya pada 1 Ogos 2018. Kini dia sedang bercuti. Kemudian, pada 11 Julai 2018 jam 9.30 malam Tan Sri Richard Malanjum diangkat sebagai KH.
Persoalannya, bolehkah Tan Sri Richard Malanjum bersumpah sebagai KH ketika Tun Raus tidak mengosongkan jawatan itu?
Walaupun Tun Raus telah kemukakan perletakan jawatannya, ia hanya akan berkuatkuasa pada 1 Ogos 2018. Walaupun bercuti, beliau masih menduduki jawatan itu. Memandangkan Tan Sri Richard Malanjum bersumpah dengan serta-merta, ia bermakna bahawa dari 9.30 malam pada 11 Julai 2018 hingga 12.00 tengah malam 31 Julai 2018, terdapat dua KH. Adakah pelantikan Tan Sri Richard Malanjum sah?
Seseorang berkata bahawa Tun Raus berada dalam cuti "garden leave", yang bermaksud bahawa dia telah diarahkan untuk menjauhkan diri dari kerja semasa tempoh notis, tapi masih menerima gaji. Itu boleh menjadi amalan di sektor swasta yang mungkin juga diterima pakai di sektor awam di mana pegawai pentadbiran terlibat.
Saya mengemukakan bahawa amalan itu tidak terpakai kepada KH, di mana kuasa yang diberikan kepadanya oleh undang-undang dan Perlembagaan - tiada siapa pun, malah PM juga tidak mempunyai kuasa untuk melucutkan daripadanya kuasa tersebut.
Mengapa upacara dilakukan pada waktu malam yang mengejutkan semua orang? Adakah Yang di-Pertuan Agong dan Perdana Menteri begitu sibuk pada siang hari sehingga ia perlu dilakukan pada waktu malam? Sekiranya Persidangan Raja-raja telah berunding pada mesyuaratnya pada 11hb Julai 2018, apakah sebab mengapa tergesa-gesa mengangkat sumpah pada malam yang sama?
Bilakah Suruhanjaya Pelantikan Kehakiman (SPK) mengadakan mesyuarat dan membuat cadangannya kepada PM? Siapa yang mempengerusikan mesyuarat itu? Tan Sri Raus masih KH walau apapun tanggapan mengenai pelantikan beliau. Pelantikannya tidak diisytiharkan tidak sah oleh mana-mana mahkamah. Seharusnya dia yang mempengerusikan mesyuarat itu. Walaupun dia bercuti, dia perlu dimaklumkan dan dia harus kembali ke kerusi mesyuarat. Sekiranya beliau dan Tan Sri Zulkefli, Presiden Mahkamah Rayuan (PMR), atas sebab-sebab tertentu, tidak boleh mempengerusikan mesyuarat itu, baris seterusnya ialah Tan Sri Ahmad Maarop, Ketua Hakim Malaya (KHM)). Beliau lebih kanan daripada Tan Sri Richard Malanjum, Ketua Hakim Sabah dan Sarawak (KHSS) jika mengikut protokol.
Kemudian, masalah yang saya jangkakan sepuluh tahun yang lalu, apabila Rang Undang-undang SPK dibentangkan di Parlimen di mana dalil itu diterima oleh Ahli Parlimen pembangkang (kini dalam kerajaan PH) semasa perdebatan, menjadi kenyataan.
Menurut protokol, KHM lebih tinggi daripada KHSS. Oleh itu, dia sebenarnya berada di barisan hadapan dalam menjalankan jawatan KH (dengan mengandaikan PMR meletak jawatan pada tarikh yang sama seperti KH). Oleh itu, kedua-dua KHM dan KHSS mestilah membatalkan diri mereka daripada mempengerusikan atau duduk di SPK ketika ia menentukan pengganti Tun Raus.
Akhir sekali, mengapa Badan Kehakiman hanya diwakili oleh Ketua Pendaftar? Dia hanya pentadbir, bukan seorang Hakim. Jika Tun Raus (KH) dan Tan Sri Zulkefli (PMR) bersidang, orang yang akan datang adalah KHM, Tan Sri Ahmad Maarop dan, selepasnya, terdapat banyak Hakim Mahkamah Persekutuan. Sudah tentu, salah seorang daripada mereka boleh berada di sana.
Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad
13 July 2018
Appointment of Tan Sri Richard Malanjum as Chief Justice
I am puzzled. Could the Attorney General (AG) or someone in the Prime Minister’s Department explain?
It was reported than Tun Md Raus Sharif, the Chief Justice (CJ) has tendered his resignation taking effect on 1st August 2018. Currently he is on leave. Then, on 11 July 2018 at 9.30 pm Tan Sri Richard Malanjum was sworn in as CJ.
The question is, can Tan Sri Richard Malanjum be sworn in as CJ when Tun Raus has not effectively vacated the post?
Even though Tun Raus has tendered his resignation, it will only take effect on 1st August 2018. Even though he is on leave, he is still occupying the post. As Tan Sri Richard Malanjum was sworn in with immediate effect, it means that as from 9.30 pm on 11 July 2018 until 12.00 midnight 31st July 2018, there are two CJs. Is Tan Sri Richard Malanjum’s appointment valid?
Someone said that Tan Sri Raus is on “garden leave”, meaning that he was instructed to stay away from work during the notice period, while still remaining on the payroll. That could be the practice in the private sector which may even be adopted in the public sector where administrative officers are involved.
I submit that the practice is not applicable to the CJ, whose powers are given by the Constitution and law. No one, not even the PM has the power to remove them from him.
Why was the ceremony done at night which took everybody by surprise? Were the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Prime Minister so busy during the day that it had to be done at night? If the Conference of Rulers was consulted at its meeting on 11th July 2018, what was the reason for the hurry to swear him the same night?
When did the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) have its meeting and made its recommendation to the PM? Who chaired the meeting? Tan Sri Raus is still CJ whatever one thinks about his appointment. His appointment had not been declared void by any court. By right he should chair the meeting. Even if he is on leave, he should be informed and he should come back to chair the meeting. If he and Tan Sri Zulkefli, the President of Court of Appeal (PCA), for some reasons, could not chair the meeting, the next in line is Tan Sri Ahmad Maarop, Chief Judge (Malaya) (CJ (M)). He is more senior than Tan Sri Richard Malanjum (Chief Judge (Sabah and Sarawak) (CJ S&S) protocol-wise.
Then, the problem that I envisaged ten years ago, when the JAC Bill was tabled in Parliament which point was adopted by a then opposition Member of Parliament (now in PH government) during the debate, becomes a reality.
According to the protocol, CJ (M) is more senior than CJ (S & S). So, he is actually in the forefront in the running for the post of CJ (assuming the PCA is resigning on the same date as CJ). So, both CJ (M) and CJ (S&S) must disqualify themselves from chairing or sitting in the JAC when it considers the successor to Tun Raus.
Lastly, why was the Judiciary only represented by the Chief Registrar? She is only an administrator, not even a Judge. If Tun Raus (CJ) and Tan Sri Zulkefli (PCA), are on leave, the person next in seniority is CJ (M), Tan Sri Ahmad Maarop and, after him, there are many Federal Court Judges. Certainly, one of them could be there.
Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad
13 July 2018
sumber: tunabdulhamid.my
