THE year 2021 was truly an unforgettable one for the Malaysian judiciary, which came under the spotlight due to numerous high-profile cases involving some high-flying politicians in the country.
Everyone's attention was fixed on the courts, with people holding their breath in anticipation of some big decisions involving charismatic personalities.
And the judiciary did not disappoint as judges delivered decisions, some deemed as shocking, while others regarded as historic.
The court verdicts that took centrestage included public interest cases on citizenship, as well as money-laundering, corruption, and criminal breach of trust (CBT) linked to prominent figures in the country, especially former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
The following is a timeline of some of the major cases in 2021:
JAN 20: The Federal Court Chief Registrar's Office comes out with a standard operating procedure (SOP) for criminal proceedings in courts during the Movement Control Order (MCO), which includes a bar on media coverage in courtrooms.
JAN 26: Several opposition leaders, including Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, initiate a judicial review over the government's decision to seek an emergency proclamation to control the Covid-19 outbreak in the country.
FEB 2: Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor is ordered to enter her defence over corruption charges involving a project to provide solar hybrid power to rural schools in Sarawak. Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan rules that the prosecution has succeeded in establishing a prima facie case against Najib's wife on all three charges of soliciting and receiving bribes.
FEB 3: Former Felda chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad is sentenced to six years' jail and fined RM15.45 million, in default 18 years' jail. This is after the court finds him guilty of nine counts of corruption involving RM3 million over the agency purchase of Merdeka Palace Hotel & Suites in Kuching, Sarawak.
FEB 19: Newsportal Malaysiakini is fined RM500,000 after the Federal Court finds it guilty of contempt of court over readers' comments "scandalising" the judiciary.
MARCH 10: The High Court rules that non-Muslims can use the word "Allah" and three other words for teaching purposes. The other words included "kaabah", "solat" and "baitullah". The ruling is made by Court of Appeal judge Datuk Nor Bee Ariffin, sitting as a High Court judge, after 13 years of legal battle between the government and Jill Ireland, a Christian woman from Sarawak.
MARCH 25: The High Court allows the government to forfeit more than RM48 million seized from Tan Sri Larry Hock Peng, the father of fugitive businessman Jho Low. Hock Peng's accounts have been frozen by the authorities as part of their investigation into whether the money in his accounts is part of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) loot.
APRIL 2: The Shah Alam High Court quashes a preventive detention order signed by then-prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin using his "public name" instead of his gazetted MyKad name "Mahiaddin Md Yassin".
MAY 17: The Inland Revenue Board (IRB) files a suit against senior lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah to recover RM9.41 million of alleged unpaid taxes over five years. IRB, in its statement of claim, says the unpaid taxes totalling RM9,411,708.32 include additional late payment penalty incurred by the defendant between 2011 and 2016.
MAY 20: The government fails in its bid to forfeit RM114 million in cash seized by police during a raid at the Pavilion Residences in 2018, soon after the fall of the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration. The court rules that the Attorney-General's Chambers (A-GC) has failed to prove that the money originated from 1MDB or funds obtained from a CBT offence.
MAY 24: Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's corruption trial involving foreign visa system begins at the Shah Alam High Court.
July 13: DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng's corruption trial pertaining to the Penang undersea tunnel project starts at the Sessions Court.
JULY 16: The Court of Appeal acquits and discharges former Federal Territories minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor over a RM2 million graft charge and a 12-month jail sentence.
JULY 21: Former youth and sports minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman claims trial to CBT involving RM1 million of his former party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia's, money. The 29-year Muar member of parliament, who is also the party's former Youth chief, is also accused of misappropriating RM120,000 of the party Youth wing, Armada's funds, which have been raised from members of the public.
JULY 30: Umno legal adviser Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun is acquitted and discharged of money-laundering charges involving RM15 million, which he allegedly received from Najib. Sessions Court judge Suzana Hussin made the decision after the prosecution told the court that the lawyer had paid close to RM600,000 in compounds.
SEPT 3: The High Court orders the Election Commission and the government to implement Undi 18 by Dec 31, 2021, which puts into motion lowering the minimum voting age from 21 to 18.
SEPT 9: The High Court rules that the government must confer citizenship to children born overseas to Malaysian mothers.
SEPT 29: Umno secretary-general Datuk Ahmad Maslan is acquitted and discharged of money-laundering and giving false statements charges to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). High Court judge Datuk Ahmad Shahrir Mohd Salleh made the decision after the prosecution told the court that they had withdrawn the charges against the former deputy finance minister.
OCT 14: Labuan MP Datuk Rozman Isli is charged at the Sessions Court here with abuse of power to secure a contract for a company linked to his family members. Rozman is accused of using his position as Labuan Port Authority deputy chairman to secure the Dermaga Merdeka Pelabuhan Labuan employment contract operator for Liberty Port Management Sdn Bhd, in which his father and brother have an interest.
OCT 27: Former defence minister Mohamad Sabu's son is freed after the High Court sets aside his eight-month jail sentence for drug abuse.
NOV 9: Six Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia students, who were charged with murder and abetment of murder of their fellow cadet officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain, escape the hangman's noose after the High Court finds them guilty of a lesser charge of culpable homicide.
DEC 7: The Ipoh High Court orders former state executive councillor Paul Yong Choo Kiong to enter his defence to a charge of raping his Indonesian maid.
DEC 8: The Court of Appeal brands Najib's conduct in the misappropriation of funds from SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former subsidiary company of 1MDB, as a "national embarrassment". A panel of three judges also ruled that his conviction, along with the 12-year jail sentence and RM210 million fine for misappropriating RM42 million of the company funds, should be upheld.
DEC 14: The Sessions Court orders former Sabah infrastructure development minister Datuk Peter Anthony to enter his defence on a charge of using false documents relating to a system maintenance contract, seven years ago.
DEC 29: The existence of vernacular schools does not in any way contravene the Federal Constitution, the High Court rules. Judge Datuk Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali says the use of Chinese and Tamil languages in these schools does not breach the Constitution. Compiled by Rahmat Khairulrijal