KUALA LUMPUR (June 13): Two Court of Appeal judges who heard Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s appeal in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case were on Tuesday (June 13) appointed as Federal Court judges.

They include Datuk Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil, who led the Court of Appeal bench that heard the former prime minister’s appeal, and subsequently upheld his conviction and sentence.

The second judge elevated to the Federal Court is Datuk Abu Bakar Jais, who was one of the five judges who heard Najib’s review in the Federal Court in March. The former Umno president failed in his bid to review the apex court's decision on Aug 23, 2022 to uphold his conviction and sentence.

Abdul Karim and Abu Bakar are both from Muar, Johor.

Also on Tuesday, four judges were elevated from the High Court to the Court of Appeal. They are Datuk Azmi Arifin, Datuk Azhari Kamal Ramly, Datuk SM Komathy Suppiah, and Datuk Dr Choo Kah Sing.

Ten judicial commissioners, meawhile, took their oath as confirmed High Court judges. They are Nurulhuda Nur'aini Mohamad Nor, Norliza Othman, Hasbullah Adam, Datuk Seri Shamsulbahri Ibrahim, Roslan Mat Nor, Julia Ibrahim, Datuk Mohd Arief Emran Arifin, Dr John Lee Ken How @ Mohammad Johan Lee, Adlin Abdul Majid, and Datuk Mohamad Abazafree Mohd Abbas.

Meanwhile, former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission senior director of prosecution Datuk Faridz Gohim Abdullah, along with Mohamad Haldar Abdul Aziz, S Indra Nehru, Roszianayati Ahmad, Yusrin Faidz Yusof and Moses Susayan, were appointed as judicial commissioners.

Present at the oath-taking ceremony held at the Palace of Justice were Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, Court of Appeal President Tan Sri Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim, Chief Judge of Malaya Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah, and Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Sebli.