KUALA LUMPUR, March 2 — The Chief Justice of Malaysia today launched the International Commercial and Admiralty Division (ICAD) at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur, with the aim of boosting investors’ confidence with expected speedy resolution of international commercial cases within a timeline of nine months.

Chief Justice Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh said ICAD was created as the judiciary’s response to the reality that “time is money” for businesses and investors, as waiting for commercial disputes to be resolved would cost companies money.

“Time is money. Certainty has value. And justice, when delivered with both speed and integrity, is among the most powerful things a nation can offer to those who choose to do business within its shores,” he said in his speech at the court complex here when launching the new division.

“Today, we take that step,” he said, referring to the launch of ICAD that would match Kuala Lumpur’s economic ambitions as a city of commerce and investment.

While the High Court in Kuala Lumpur already has a commercial division and also had admiralty courts for years, Wan Ahmad Farid said ICAD was necessary due to the high volume of commercial court cases.

He said creating a dedicated division just for international commercial cases would mean that these cases could be decided quicker.

“So if the case remains in the main commercial division, it will take time,” he said, pointing to the thousands of commercial cases at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.

“So we have to separate the international division, international disputes, for the matter to be resolved as quickly as possible,” he told reporters later in a press conference.

The number of commercial cases registered at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur was 7,390 cases in 2024, and 9,671 cases in 2025.

As for the number of active international commercial and admiralty cases at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur since last year until now, there are 116 of these cases, including 54 admiralty cases, he said.

“We hope with the formation of ICAD, everything can be resolved within nine months,” he said.

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