Hanipah, Vazeer Alam sworn in as Federal Court judges

PUTRAJAYA - Court of Appeal Judges Datuk Hanipah Farikullah and Datuk Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera were sworn in as Federal Court judges today.

Hanipah, 64, and Vazeer Alam, 62, took their oaths before Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat at a ceremony held at the Conference Hall, Palace of Justice.

Hanipah, who hails from Besut, Terengganu, was appointed as a Court of Appeal judge on April 27, 2018. She previously presided over a panel of three judges in Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor's appeal concerning the appointment of former Federal Court judge, the late Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram, as the lead prosecutor in the solar hybrid project corruption case.

Hanipah also led a three-member bench in Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's appeal regarding the RM1.9 million lawsuit against former Attorney-General Tan Sri Tommy Thomas, in addition to hearing appeals in criminal cases.

Vazeer Alam, who was appointed as a Court of Appeal judge on Aug 8, 2019, led the panel of three judges for the appeal of the corruption case involving former Felda chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad, as well as the case of the murder of Cradle Fund chief executive officer Nazrin Hassan.

Meanwhile, three judicial commissioners, Su Tiang Joo, 64, Alexander Siew How Wai and Amelati Parnell, both aged 57, took the oath of office and allegiance as High Court judges.

Su was sworn in before Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Datuk Akhtar Tahir, while Siew and Amelati were sworn in before Sabah and Sarawak Chief Justice Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Sebli.

Born in Muar, Johor, Su was appointed as High Court of Ipoh, Perak, judicial commissioner on Sept 1, 2020, before being transferred to the High Court of Kuala Lumpur on Feb 28, 2023.

Siew, born in Sandakan, Sabah, was appointed as High Court of Kuching, Sarawak judicial commissioner on July 10, 2020.

He made a significant decision in the Kuching High Court regarding the implementation of Undi18, allowing the judicial review of five youths who requested the enforcement of the amendment to the Federal Constitution to lower the minimum voting age from 21 to 18 years.

Meanwhile, Amelati, a native of Sarawak, began her career as a magistrate at the Kuching Magistrate's Court in 1990 before being appointed as a judge of the Sibu Sessions Court, Sarawak, in 2007.

She was later appointed as the judicial commissioner of the High Court of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, in 2021, before being transferred to the Bintulu High Court, Sarawak, on Jan 1, 2024. - BERNAMA