KUALA LUMPUR, May 29 — When Sultan Azlan Shah was Lord President of the Federal Court, he was well known for his well-written judgments and flawless English. Court reporters also remember him as a firm Lord President but was approachable when it came to the press.
“He was friendly to the court reporters,” said retired Bernama journalist Ratna Melan, who was a court reporter for 10 to 15 years. Another Bernama retiree Janine Koay remembers the late Sultan for his well- written judgments.
“He wrote good judgments in perfect English,” said Koay who was on the court beat for close to 15 years.
Sultan Azlan Shah was also strict
However, at times the rather stern Sultan Azlan Shah, who became the youngest Lord President ever in 1982, could give young rookie court reporters the shivers. When a rookie Bernama court reporter was asked to see him in chambers, she worried a lot on how to address him – should it be Your Lordship, or should it be His Highness since the Lord President was of royal blood.
Veteran court reporters provided the advice. However, it turned out that she needed not worry because once in the Lord President’s chambers, the Lord President merely wanted to hand over a written judgment.
And he did that in a swift manner, without the rookie reporter having to utter any word except ‘thank you’. She was then ushered out of the room, with a sigh of relief.
Youngest Judge and Lord President
Sultan Azlan Shah might be firm and strict as Lord President but he recognised the role of court reporters in reporting cases. The late Sultan Azlan Shah was not only the youngest Lord President, he was also the youngest to be appointed high court judge in the Commonwealth at the age of 37 in 1965.
In 1973, he was made a Federal Court judge at the age of 45 and six years later in 1979, Chief Justice of Malaya, an office which he held until his appointment as the youngest ever Lord President of the Federal Court of Malaysia on Nov 12, 1982 at the age of 54.
However, he held the post of Lord President for a short time as he was installed as the Raja Muda of Perak on July 1, 1983 at the age of 55. On Feb 3, 1984 at the age of 56, he was installed as the Sultan of Perak after the death of Sultan Idris.
Excellent academic qualifications
The late Sultan Azlan Shah obtained his law degree from the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom when he was 25. He enrolled for the degree at the age of 22.
He was admitted to the English Bar by the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn at age 26.
The late Sultan started his judicial career as a first class magistrate and then as Sessions Court president. He was subsequently appointed as federal counsel and deputy public prosecutor.
His other posts in the judiciary included Pahang state legal adviser and later of Johor, registrar of the High Court of Malaya and chief registrar of the Federal Court.
– BERNAMA
