KUALA LUMPUR — Public confidence remains the most valuable asset of the judiciary and must be continuously earned through integrity, accountability and consistent conduct, said Chief Justice Tun Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh.
Speaking at the inaugural Tun Zaki Azmi Lecture titled “Leading with Courage, Stewarding Justice” at the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC) here on Thursday, he drew on the legacy of former chief justice Tun Zaki Azmi, stressing that institutional leaders must be willing to make difficult decisions while strengthening the institutions they serve for future generations, Bernama reported.
“Public trust is not inherited or assumed, but earned gradually through consistent conduct and integrity in judicial outcomes across every level of the court system.
“He (Tun Zaki) earned it, he protected it and he left this institution more worthy of it than he found it,” he said.
He added that leadership within institutions often involves quiet but significant responsibility, with decisions made under pressure playing a crucial role in shaping public confidence.
“I want to say this to every person in this room who carries a responsibility, who has felt the weight of institutional leadership, who has asked themselves whether they are leaving things better than they found them: your work matters.
“The decisions you make in quiet rooms, under pressure, without applause, matter. And the wisdom you have built through those decisions is not yours alone to keep. It belongs to us. To this community. To the next generation of leaders who will inherit what we build here, and who deserve to inherit something worthy of their dedication,” he said.
Explaining the purpose of the lecture series, he said the Tun Zaki Lectures on Leadership and Stewardship, along with the Leadership and Stewardship Research Initiative, are designed to foster meaningful dialogue on leadership and produce practical scholarship relevant to institutional realities.
“The Tun Zaki Lectures on Leadership and Stewardship are not a ceremonial series. They are a serious, sustained effort to create a living dialogue between those who have led and those who are preparing to lead, to bring experience and principle into conversation with each other, in a space that takes both seriously.
“Meanwhile, the Leadership and Stewardship Research Initiative will do the longer, deeper work alongside it, building scholarship that is rigorous, honest, and directly relevant to the realities of leading institutions under pressure. Not theory for its own sake, but knowledge we can actually use and pass on,” he said.
The lecture series is named in honour of Malaysia’s sixth chief justice, Tun Zaki Azmi, in recognition of his contributions to leadership, stewardship and institutional responsibility. It also serves as the founding platform for the broader Leadership and Stewardship Research Initiative.
Also in attendance were former Chief Justice Tun Md Raus Sharif, retired Federal Court judges Tan Sri James Foong and Datuk Mary Lim
The initiative is a long-term effort aimed at strengthening leadership, governance and public trust, with a focus on preserving and sharing leadership lessons from distinguished figures for future generations. – June 19, 2026