WE SALUTE YOU TUN SUFFIAN
 
A great man and a great judge has passed away.  Tun Suffian bin Hashim will
always be remembered as a person with the highest integrity and a judge who
always wanted to protect jealously the independence of the judiciary. He
always strikes me as a true gentleman, full of sincerity and good humour.
When he was leader of the judicial institution, he constantly reminded his
subordinates on the importance to uphold truth and justice.  We then had the
best of judges.
 
During Tun Suffian’s tenure as Lord President, the Malaysian judiciary was
held in high respect. This continued to prevail during the time of his
successor, Tun Salleh Abas, until the latter was unjustly sacked from
office. Since then, the judiciary has gone steadily downhill.  Under
questionable and weak leadership the judiciary has lost its integrity,
independence and respect. Many people cynically joke that we now have some
of the best judges that money can buy.
 
I have known Tun Suffian for quite some time and had the opportunity to talk
and exchange letters with him on a few occasions about some matters. He has
written a number of books. When I was detained in Kamunting under the ISA,
he sent me an autographed copy of his book on the Malaysian Constitution. He
was very enthusiastic about my book the “Two Faces”, which describes my six
year detention experiences. In fact, a few years ago he asked his good
friends Dr Yaacob and Dr Tengku Sufiah, in whose home he spent the last few
months of his life, to promote the sale of the book among lawyers during one
of their meetings.
 
Tun Suffian has left many works that will long be referred to by students
and practitioners of law. This is an important heritage. But it is
unfortunate that he has not been able to inherit the admirable qualities of
integrity and independence of the judiciary, which he always wanted to
promote and preserve. Perhaps he died a bitter and disappointed man; bitter
because he saw the leader of the country succeed in making the judiciary
docile and submissive to him, and disappointed that most of the senior
judges in the country have failed to defend truth and justice in their
courts.
 
Tun Suffian’s demise should remind us that not only the judiciary, but all
important institutions in this country should not be led by people of
questionable competence, credibility and integrity. Presently, many  seem to
be beholden to their political masters who have given them positions they
hardly deserve. Some of them also have numerous skeletons in their
cupboards, and so are constantly in fear that their masters will expose
them. As a result they cannot but become sycophantic. It is time that
competent, qualified, clean, incorruptible, moral, ethical, responsible,
accountable, humane and human persons replace the leadership of all the
institutions in the country. Only then can we be guaranteed of a blessed,
good and safe future for the people and the country.
 
Dr Syed Husin Ali
President, PRM
27th September 2000
 
Correction
 
CORRECTION ON TUN SUFFIAN STATEMENT



Please note that Tun Salleh Abas was not the immediate successor to Tun 

Suffian Hashim as Lord President. Before Tun Salleh there was Raja Azlan 

Shah, the present Sultan of Perak.   Like the other two, Raja Azlan was also 

respected as a Lord President who guarded jealously the integrity and 

independence of the judiciary. Now His Highness Sultan Azlan has given due 

honour to Tun Suffian by agreeing to let him rest in the Royal Burial 

Ground.



Dr Syed Husin Ali

President, PRM



28th September 2000