The ICJ today expressed its heartfelt condolences at the passing away yesterday of one of its most distinguished honorary members, Tun Mohamed Suffian Hashim at the age of 82.Tun Mohamed Suffian Hashim was elected as a Member of the ICJ in 1981 and in 1990 became an Honorary Member.
Tun Mohamed Suffian dedicated his life to the promotion and protection of the Rule of Law. His defence of this principle, especially with regard to constitutionalism, was not always without controversy. In recent years, he had been troubled by threats to judicial independence in Malaysia. These threats are of concern to many Malaysians and international observers, including the ICJ.
Tun Mohamed Suffian was a distinguished jurist and former Lord President of Malaysia, the highest judicial officer in Malaysia. At the time of his appointment in 1982, Tun Mohamed Suffian was the first local to ever occupy such a position.
In an illustrious career, he graduated from Cambridge University and in 1948 returned to Malaysia as a Deputy Public Prosecutor. In 1952, he was appointed legal adviser to the Pahang Government and then State Secretary. In 1957 he was made Senior Defence Counsel, Solicitor General in 1959 and a High Court Judge in 1961. In October 1973 he was appointed Chief Justice and the following year Lord President. He retired in 1982.
Tun Mohamed Suffian leaves a prodigious legacy. He will always be remembered as a man of principle and humility- a man who never lost sight of the core principles of justice despite the privileges of high office.