Malaysia faces judicial void as chief justice set to retire without successor

Malaysia’s judiciary faces a leadership vacuum as Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat prepares to step down on Wednesday without a successor named – a gap lawyers warn could undermine judicial independence and public trust.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration has opted not to extend the tenure of Tengku Maimun or Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim, the president of the Court of Appeal, both of whom reach the mandatory retirement age of 66 this week. The constitution allows for a six-month…