September 12, 2012
Justice Sundaresh Menon: Chief Justice of Singapore
An Indian-origin Judge has been named as the new Chief Justice of Singapore, making him the first from the community to head the courts.
Sundaresh Menon (left), presently Singapore’s Judge of Appeal, will assume the office of the chief justice from November 6. He would take over from Justice Chan Sek Keong, who retires at the age of 75, said a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office on the appointment announced by President Tony Tan.
Reacting to his appointment, Justice Menon said: “I am greatly honoured and privileged to be entrusted with this awesome responsibility; and humbled by the calibre of those who have been so entrusted before me”.
Justice Menon, 50, obtained his Master of Laws from Harvard University, after graduating with First Class Honours in Law from the National University of Singapore. He has been a leading lawyer and later became Singapore’s Attorney General before he was appointed to the position of Judge of Appeal on August 1, 2012.
Chief Justice Chan (right) has served in the public service for 26 years, including six 
years as Chief Justice.
Paying a tribute to the CJ (Justice Chan), Justice Menon said: “It is daunting to be faced with the prospect of taking over from someone who has been a towering figure in the Singapore legal landscape throughout the course of my professional career, but having known the Chief Justice for 25 years and having seen first hand his personal kindness and generosity as a mentor and his love for the law, I know he will remain available to help in any way he can. I pray that I will discharge this great responsibility with wisdom, courage, humility and honour.”
I can’t imagine this happening in Malaysia. Here only a Melayu will have the qualifications to head our Judiciary. No wonder Bendover is angry. Mr Bean, any comment from you?
Not fair Gurubachan, hitting below the belt. Bendover not amused.
Why Melayu only as CJ is because if there’s a case on Islamic litigation that needs to be disposed off, a non Muslim will find him/herself in an ackward position and no non Muslim can decide on Islamic issues. This is what I was told. Maybe wrong.
Not a single major GLC from Tenaga to Maybank to Sime Darby to MAS to Khazanah to KTMB to CIMB to EPF to whatever lah… will be a non-Malay as CEO…. and the government want us to tell our kids to come home and serve! What do they aim for?
Gurubachan,
You should be more angry that the predecessor was from perak. Born in taiping. Studied in Anderson school. Like I say many many many times, we should bestow chan sek keong, honorary Malaysian & install him as chief justice of Malaysia
Orang Malaya,
Dey, Malaysia still secular la. common law rule supreme. What Muslim no Muslim thingy. Stick secular. Paham tak. So one chinaman as chief justice no issue ok.
First malacca governor was a chinaman
Menon at the age of 50 become chief Justice of Singapore.Look at his qualification.In Malaysia at that age many of them still a High Court Judge.Look at the quality of judgement they produce,macam nasi kandar.
Gurubachan.In Malaysia the goverment find it vary difficult to recuit Indian and Bengali judges because they make more money working as partner in legal firm.I must admit,Indian and Bengali are having the best brain in legal pratice.How much you being paid as High Court judge ,less than 20k.
In Singapore Chief Justice salary around 100k sing dollar.Our Lord President salary only 30k malaysia rgt which is around 12k sing dollar.
Singapore former chief justice Chan Sek Keong is famous for his within 200 metres of a polling station verdict which was one of those make-or-break career moves.
“while it is illegal to be within 200 metres of a polling station unless you are voting, if is not illegal if you are inside.”
http://singaporedesk.blogspot.sg/2012_08_01_archive.html
I am sure that Singaporeans want new chief Justice Menon to discharge his great responsibility with wisdom, courage, humility and honour,but hopefully he would not use Justice Chan Sek Keong as a model.
Or perhaps the question Mr Gurubachan Singh should ask is: how come in Singapore only the non-Malays can climb up to the highest position, civil service or private. Certainly not all Malays are stupid or incapable and vice-versa. Yesterday, a Chinese mother came to my college and bluntly told the Marketing people that she do not want her child to be taught by any Malay lecturers. Do Singaporeans Chinese and Indians share the same perception as her?
@Hamid
In Singapore Chief Justice salary around 100k sing dollar.
The Chief Justice salary is S$347,400.00 per month.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judicial_officers_of_the_Republic_of_Singapore
In practice, judges receive a much higher total remuneration package than the basic salary stated in the Order mentioned above as they also receive allowances.
Dato,sorry the above info is wrong,I checked on wrong page.
Tieu Loose cannon, mind your language. I don’t care whether Tun Leong Yew koh wasyour grandfather and Govenor of Melaka, so what. You seem to have an axe to grind with malays and Malaysia.
If you care to read “I was informed’ maybe wrong. Why so sacarstic? I know you love Singapore, that’s all ringht. Go and apply for Singaporean citizenship and live there. You are free to disagree as you’ve demonstrated in all your postings, thats your right but do it with civility. Dey, I am no Indian so again mind your language. It’s embarassing for a grandson of a Governor to be talking like a thamby.
You guys have are suffering from toothaches and gum boils. Perhaps even GPI (general paralysis of the insane).
.
You compare salaries for the top gomen servants with a first world nation like Singapore. But when the previously aborted salary scheme for the top rung civil servants were announced, you jokers cried ‘bollocks’! Hypocrites.
You wanna to know who’s keeping this country chugging along, in spite of the irrelevance of blind Pemandus? it’s those few honest dedicated senior civil servants who are able to fend off the cheap politicizing and gross manipulation of the powers that be. They will become extinct soon, and the second rung ain’t half as honest or competent. When they pecen, then we Zimbabwe-nize..
I know of high court judges who don’t quibble about the salary or perks, simply because they have no one of caliber to take their place. There are also honest to goodness legal advisers who remain in service because they lack the verbal skills to spar with the likes of our brother Singhs. They are few and far in between, but still influential enough to exert a modicum of influence, despite the corruption and nepotism. Some of these are already with the Opposition after their pension.
The civil service needs a revamp to kick all the deadwood – aka ampu-bodek, unproductive, unimaginative, irresponsible, derelict cretins whose Carma is linked to their level of sycophancy, corruption, moronism and immorality. Same with the GLCs. The UMNO nexus can’t – because of their inherent cow-dung dependence on Melayu Selama-lama-nya. Do you think the Opposition is any better? Doubt it.
Orang Malaya, stand and argue and debate backed by facts lah… why behave like Bung Mokhtar Radin always ask people to leave the country if they don’t agree with something? This is also his country and motherland as much as it is yours… respect begets respect!
In Malaysia, u have demerit points base on who your ancestor is. So, the China man always score high points in this category and failed to compete on “demerit”. Sound alien ? but its true unless u don’t live here to feel it. U don’t feel good when u can’t aspire to be the No. 1 of the country, state , a GLC, …….so on when u r legally a citizen of this country. It kills off your quest for excellence…….and also your sense of belonging…. this is simply psychology.
Orang Malaya got up on the wrong side of the bed. Normally he is a pretty cool, liberal and rational guy. Cool it fellas.–Din Merican
Greenbug, I’ve followed his comments as well as yours for a long long time. While we may disagree about how things are done in Malaysia by this government, I take offence each time a particular race that is the Malays are being blamed for everything that’s gone wrong. The errors are done by the government not the Malays in general.
Anyway I’ll abide by the bloghost advice.
And what right have you got to ask people to leave the country?
Greenbug, you have made many comparisons between Indonesia and Malaysia. You like their religious tolerance and wonder if that will ever happen in Malaysia and many more through your postings. Did I ask you to go and live in Indonesia? NO i’ve not.
Many Malaysians have left the country to seek better future and fortunes in other countries especially Singapore. They have chosen because they feel they can excel, have a better life and be a better person there. No one asked them to leave Malaysia. They left on their own.
However if any Malaysian is so negative about Malaysia, that person should leave instead of bringing down the country at every opportunity. The world is wide open, go to where you are welcome, feel comfortable and able to strive. It is not my right to ask but just a suggestion for the betterment of all.
Er.., orang malaya. Sometimes people get the syntax, semantics, grammar and context all wrong. Why? Because they are ultra-sensitive to key words without reading the whole sentence. Others like the soiled thing are so dense, it’s useless to talk sense or even get upset with them. They have predetermined trigger points, like ‘deux machina’. Let it be. Cheers.
Guess you’re right CLFamiliaris. No point in raising my blood pressure and burst a vein.
Orang Malaya, I think there is nothing wrong in comparing. The more important thing is whether the comparison is fair and correct. I know truth is sometime difficult to swallow.