Mah is judicial commissioner

The New Straits Times

By V. Anbalagan

PUTRAJAYA: Former Bar Council chairman Mah Weng Kwai has been appointed a judicial commissioner.

He took his oath of office before Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Arifin Zakaria at the Palace of Justice here yesterday. Also present were Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi and Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Alauddin Mohd Sheriff.

Mah has been posted to the new commercial High Court in Jalan Duta and began his duty yesterday.

His appointment is among the measures taken by the judiciary to appoint experienced officials to help clear the backlog of criminal and civil cases.

Mah was in private practice for a year after he was called to the Bar in 1972 then joined the judicial and legal service the following year.

He had worked as magistrate, Sessions Court judge, deputy public prosecutor, senior federal counsel, court registrar and senior assistant parliamentary draftsman in the Attorney-General's Chambers before returning to private practice in 1985.

He was a Bar Council president from 2001 from 2003 and president of Law Asia for two years from 2006.

Bar Council president Ragunath Kesavan said the legal fraternity was proud of Mah's appointment as it reflected the judiciary's recognition of the Bar.

"We welcome Mah's appointment as he has the reputation of being independent, diligent and competent, " he said, adding that Mah' s previous experience was an asset to the Bench.