Pakatan Harapan’s The Council of Eminent Persons earlier today announced the formation of the Committee on Institutional Reforms aimed to assist the newly-formed Pakatan Harapan government on economic and financial matters.

In a statement, the council also stated that it had appointed five prominent figures, to sit in the reform committee.

“Economic reform on its own cannot bring the desired change unless accompanied by institutional reforms,” the statement read.

The five persons appointed into the committee are:

1. Retired Court of Appeal judge Datuk K.C. Vohrah

2. Retired Court of Appeal judge and Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) commissioner Datuk Mah Weng Kwai

3. Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan (Patriot) president Brig-Gen (Rtd) Datuk Mohamed Arshad Raji

4. National Human Rights Society (Hakam) president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan

5. Universiti Malaya Law professor Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi

Members of the committee would present its findings and recommendations on institutional reforms to the council, the statement read.

“The council will then present its report to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad,” it said.

Former Court of Appeal Judge Vohrah has a strong presence in the Malaysian legal landscape and has helped shape it for over 50 years. He was also the Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia from July 2002 to April 2008. 

Mah joined the Judicial and Legal Services of Malaysia in 1973 and held, inter alia, the posts of Magistrate, President of the Sessions Court and Senior Assistant Registrar of the High Court. He also served as a Deputy Public Prosecutor and Senior Federal Counsel in the Attorney General’s Chambers.

On 4.1.2010 he was appointed a Judicial Commissioner of the High Court of Malaya and on 10.8.2011 a Judge of the High Court of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur. He was elevated to the Court of Appeal, Malaysia on 21.9.2012.

Army veteran Mohamed Arshad was well-known for his fearless stand in voicing out his criticisms against the previous Barisan Nasional government, particularly on issues related to military.

A few months before the 14th General Election, Mohamed Arshad had made a call to members of the armed forces to cast their votes without fear or favour.

Ambiga  is a prominent Malaysian lawyer and human rights advocate, and is one of the eight recipients of the US International Women of Courage Award in 2009. She formerly served as the President of the Malaysian Bar Council from 2007 to 2009, and was former co-chairperson of Bersih, an NGO Coalition advocating for free and fair elections.

Shad Faruqi is a Malaysian Professor of Law in the University of Malaya, currently holding the Tunku Abdul Rahman Chair as Professor of Constitutional Law.[1] He has served Universiti Teknologi MARA in Shah Alam, Selangor in various capacities from 1971 onwards. 

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