KUALA LUMPUR: Former Chief Justice, Tun Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah, has died. He was 86.
His daughter, Nadjihah, told the FMT that her father was admitted to a private hospital here two days ago due to heart complications.
"He passed away this evening. He will be buried at the Bukit Kiara cemetery tomorrow before Friday prayers", Nadjihah was quoted in the report.
Dzaiddin is survived by his wife, Tengku Noriah Tengku Ismail, and two children, Nadjihah and Azlan.
Born in Arau, Perlis, on Sept 16, 1937, Dzaiddin received his primary education in Arau, Perlis before attending Sultan Abdul Hamid College in Alor Setar, Kedah.
He was called to the English Bar on July 19, 1966 and the Malaysian Bar about six months later.
Dzaiddin was a reporter for The Malay Mail from 1956 until September the following year before he joined the police force as an inspector with the Special Branch.
He studied law in London in 1962 and subsequently entered private practice before being elevated to the bench. He also served as a vice-president of the Malaysian Bar.
Dzaiddin was appointed a High Court judge on Oct 1, 1982 and a Supreme Court judge on Dec 18, 1992.
He served as Malaysia's Chief Justice from Dec 20, 2000, to March 14, 2003. After retirement, he became a legal consultant at Skrine.
On Feb 4, 2004, he was appointed chairman of the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysia Police by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
The commission's report, submitted on April 30, 2005, contained 125 recommendations, including the establishment of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), replaced by the Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC) in 2023.