Understand full judgement first, don't simply jump to conclusions - CJ

SHAH ALAM - Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat says it is unfair to make statements about a court judgement without comprehending the decision.

According to a news report by The Star, the top judge said the comments made on the judgement were solely based on sentiment and not the understanding of the law.

"It is not fair to be making statements on things you don't understand, that would bring chaos to anything if you say something which you do not understand.

"You don't have the basic knowledge, you don't have the full understanding, yet you're making statements about it.

"That's not right," she was reported to have said.

She was reported to have said this to reporters after attending the 2nd National Litigation Conference 2022 at the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC), in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.

She also advised the public to fully understand the judgement first or even better to consult with someone who has knowledge about the law.

Tengku Maimun was reported to have said this in response to the statements made by politicians who attacked the judiciary following the decision made by a five-member Federal Court bench that she led on Aug 23 upholding the conviction, 12-year jail sentence and fine against former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for misappropriating RM42 million funds from SRC International Sdn Bhd.

"My personal opinion is that the comments show their lack of understanding because they don't read the judgment.

"If they don't read, they don't understand, if they don't understand, they will make comments that are inappropriate and irrelevant to the issue," she said.

Apart from that, Tengku Maimun also expressed her gratitude for the support from the Malaysian Bar for issuing press statements and explained why cases were decided in such a way and why politicians should not jump to conclusions and make statements about it.

She further advised the public to consult with someone who was knowledgeable in legal matters instead of making their own conclusions without understanding.

"You ask the right people, don't simply jump to conclusions without fully understanding.

"That's the basic thing, isn't it? If you don't understand, you ask," she added.