<figure id="attachment_3110431" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3110431" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-3110431 size-full" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/7c5d5f3d-wan-ahmad-farid-wan-salleh-resave-16725.webp" alt="Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3110431" class="wp-caption-text">Justice Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh has also been elevated to the Federal Court to allow him to helm the highest office in the judiciary. (Wikipedia pic)</figcaption></figure>
PETALING JAYA: Justice Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh has been appointed as Malaysia’s new chief justice, taking over the post from Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat who retired earlier this month.
In a statement, the office of the chief registrar said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had also consented to Abu Bakar Jais&#8217;s appointment as president of the Court of Appeal and Azizah Nawawi&#8217;s appointment as chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak.
They will be sworn in and presented with their letters of appointment at Istana Negara on July 28.
The statement said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong consented to the appointments on the advice of the prime minister and after consultation with the Conference of Rulers, in line with Article 122B of the Federal Constitution.
<div class='youtube-container'><iframe loading="lazy" title="Wan Ahmad Farid is Malaysia’s new chief justice" width="580" height="326" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qZ1z1ncQvCs?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
Chief Judge of Malaya Hasnah Hashim is currently serving as acting chief justice following the retirement of Tengku Maimun, while Federal Court judge Zabariah Yusof is acting Court of Appeal president after Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim retired two weeks ago.
Wan Ahmad Farid, a Court of Appeal judge, has also been elevated to the Federal Court to allow him to helm the highest office in the judiciary.
He was appointed as a judicial commissioner in December 2015 before being elevated to the High Court in 2019 and then the Court of Appeal in November 2024.
Wan Ahmad Farid served as the political secretary to former prime minister, the late Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and was an Umno member. However, he quit politics in 2013.
The 62-year-old also served as a deputy home minister for just over a year, between 2008 and 2009, and was a senator from 2005-2009.
<figure id="attachment_3111623" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3111623" style="width: 200px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-3111623" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/42308316-abu-bakar-jais-ms-180725.webp" alt="Abu Bakar Jais" width="200" height="200" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3111623" class="wp-caption-text">Abu Bakar Jais.</figcaption></figure>
In 2009, Wan Ahmad Farid was the Barisan Nasional candidate in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election but lost to PAS’s Abdul Wahid Endut.
Abu Bakar, 63, started his career in the Attorney-General&#8217;s Chambers before going into private practice. He was appointed judicial commissioner in 2013 and elevated as High Court judge three years later.
<figure id="attachment_3111624" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3111624" style="width: 200px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-3111624" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cc02addc-azizah-nawawi-ms-180725.webp" alt="Azizah Nawawi" width="200" height="200" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3111624" class="wp-caption-text">Azizah Nawawi.</figcaption></figure>
Abu Bakar was promoted to the Court of Appeal in December 2019 and to the Federal Court in June 2023.
Azizah, 63, is the first woman to be appointed chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak. She will replace Abdul Rahman Sebli, who is set to retire on July 24.
Azizah has served at the Court of Appeal since August 2019. She was made judicial commissioner in November 2012 and elevated to the High Court in September 2014.

MatchPoint Times

Wan Ahmad Farid is Malaysia’s new chief justice

Justice Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh used to be a political aide to the late Abdullah Ahmad Badawi but quit politics in 2013.

AmEx shrugs off competition fears after beating profit estimates

UK police hunt suspects after anti-migrant protests turn violent