KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 12 — Bribery of judges in Malaysia is “almost impossible”, although there could be “isolated” cases of corruption, Chief Justice of Malaysia Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh said today.
Asked by reporters about the judiciary’s plans to avoid judges from being tainted with corruption issues, Wan Ahmad Farid said he did not deny the possibility of such corruption, but pointed out that it would be actually “quite difficult” to bribe judges.
He gave the hypothetical scenario of someone who wants to win cases by bribing judges, but said this would involve bribing multiple individuals — the High Court judge, the Court of Appeal judges and the Federal Court judges.
“Can someone bribe all these persons?” he asked rhetorically during a press conference after the Opening of the Legal Year 2026.
“So the incidence is not high, and I believe although there is — this cannot be denied, because I had ever presided on a case where a former Sessions Court judge was convicted and sentenced because of corruption — but we know that it is almost impossible, although it can happen, but it seldom happens,” he said.
Court cases decided by a High Court judge can be appealed further to the Court of Appeal and Federal Court.
Earlier during his Opening of the Legal Year speech, Wan Ahmad Farid said the Malaysian government’s implementation of a 30 per cent increase in judges’ salaries would help promote the judiciary’s independence.
He said a fairly paid judiciary would protect judges from undue influence and allow judges to carry out their duties without undue financial concern.
Wan Ahmad Farid also said the independence of Malaysia’s judiciary must be towering.
“It must be the first thing a citizen sees when they look for protection, and the last thing that yields to the storms of political pressure. It does not lean; it does not waver; and it certainly does not apologise for its height,” he said in the same speech.
