24 Facts About Salleh Abas

Mohamed Salleh bin Abas was a Malaysian judge and politician.

Salleh Abas was a Lord President of the Federal Court of Malaysia.

Salleh Abas was dismissed from his post during the 1988 Malaysian constitutional crisis.

Salleh Abas left in 1949 for the United Kingdom, where he graduated with a degree in law from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

Salleh Abas then served in Kota Baru, Kelantan as a magistrate.

Salleh Abas then returned to Britain to obtain a master's degree in international law and constitution at the University of London.

Salleh Abas returned in 1962, upon which he was appointed state legal adviser and Deputy Public Prosecutor for both Negeri Sembilan and Melaka.

Salleh Abas returned to Kuala Lumpur a year later, and served in a variety of posts under the Attorney-General, culminating in an appointment as Solicitor-General.

When Suffian retired in 1982 and was replaced by Raja Azlan Shah, Salleh became Chief Justice of Malaya.

Raja Azlan was forced to resign to ascend the throne, and Salleh Abas became Lord President in 1984.

Salleh Abas later expressed regret over this, as he believed he might not have been fired had the link to the Privy Council been maintained.

At this point, Salleh Abas who was then Lord President of the Supreme Court, began making strong statements about defending the autonomy of the judiciary.

However, Salleh Abas was pressured by his fellow judges into taking stronger action.

Salleh Abas convened a meeting of all 20 federal judges in the national capital of Kuala Lumpur.

Salleh Abas, who had gone overseas soon after the letter was sent, was summoned by Mahathir upon his return.

Salleh Abas later claimed that at the meeting, Mahathir accused him of bias in the UMNO case, and demanded his resignation.

Salleh Abas was immediately suspended from his post as Lord President.

Salleh Abas later claimed that the government attempted to bribe him to resign.

Salleh Abas was represented by Anthony Lester, QC, who objected to the tribunal's composition.

Salleh Abas demanded that the tribunal make its hearings public.

All of these claims were rejected by the tribunal, and Salleh Abas withdrew from the proceedings.

Salleh Abas contested the 1995 general election for the Lembah Pantai parliamentary constituency under the Parti Melayu Semangat 46 ticket, and failed to be elected.

Salleh Abas died from COVID-19-complicated pneumonia at 3.20 am three days later, at the age of 91.

Salleh Abas was laid to rest beside the grave of his first wife Toh Puan Azimah Mohd Ali at the Sheikh Ibrahim Muslim Cemetery in Jalan Pusara, Kuala Terengganu.