Four women who held Malaysia’s top judicial posts prove merit and integrity, says Chief Justice, citing progress in gender equality.
KUALA LUMPUR: Four women who have held the highest offices in Malaysia’s judiciary stand as a testament to merit, integrity and the nation’s commitment to gender equality, said Chief Justice Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh.
The nation’s top judge said the appointment of former Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, former Court of Appeal President Tan Sri Rohana Yusuf, former Chief Judge of Malaya, the late Tan Sri Siti Norma Yaakob and Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak, Datuk Azizah Nawawi, to their respective highest positions reflected the steady progress of women breaking barriers and reshaping the country’s legal landscape.
“These are not merely appointments, but milestones that prove talent knows no gender. The glass ceiling was not just cracked, it was shattered repeatedly through courage, discipline and excellence.
“Women must be free to be their true selves and determine their own paths. When women lead, advocate, adjudicate and innovate, it does not diminish others; it expands what power can achieve for everyone,” he said in his special address at the Women’s Rights Conference 2026 held at the Asian International Arbitration Centre today.
Present were Tun Tengku Maimun and Malaysian Bar President Anand Raj.
Sharing personal experience as a father of six daughters, Wan Ahmad Farid said each of them had pursued her own path across different fields, including engineering, communications, filmmaking and law.
“Not one of them defined herself by expectation. Each created her own path, in her own voice and on her own terms,” he said, adding that he had never imposed expectations on them.
Meanwhile, Tun Tengku Maimun, in her keynote address, said the constitutional foundation of gender justice in Malaysia is firmly anchored in Article 8 of the Federal Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law and equal protection of the law for all persons.
“Since the constitutional amendment in 2001, this guarantee expressly recognised gender as a prohibited ground of discrimination under Article 8, Clause 2.
“The jurisdiction that the courts have developed over the years, particularly through the prismatic interpretation of the Federal Constitution, will remain and continue to serve as a beacon for the cause of gender justice,” she said.
