Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim

Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim
Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim
Born	July 3, 1959 (age 67); Sibu, Crown Colony of Sarawak (present-day Sarawak, Malaysia)
Occupation(s)	Jurist, lawyer
Known for	12th President of the Court of Appeal of Malaysia; Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak

Abang Iskandar bin Abang Hashim (Jawi: أبانغ إسكندر بن أبانغ هاشم; born 3 July 1959) is a distinguished Malaysian jurist and lawyer who held the position of the 12th President of the Court of Appeal from January 2023 until his retirement in July 2025. Notably, he was the first person from Sarawak to be appointed to this prestigious office. Before this appointment, he served as the Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak (CJSS).

Early life and education

Born on 3 July 1959 in Sibu, then part of the Crown Colony of Sarawak (present-day Sarawak, Malaysia), Abang Hashim completed his legal studies at the University of Malaya, earning a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree.

Career

Abang Hashim commenced his career in the Judicial and Legal Service on 1 August 1983, initially serving as a magistrate in Miri, Sarawak. He subsequently held magistrate positions in Limbang and Sibu. In 1989, he transitioned to the Sarawak Legal Aid Bureau before rejoining judicial service in 1990 as a Sessions Court judge based in Kuala Lumpur.

From 1992 to 1994, he undertook various roles including serving as Legal Advisor at the Fisheries Department under the Malaysian Ministry of Agriculture, followed by several assignments within the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC). By the year 2000, he led the Commercial Crime Unit in the Prosecution Division located in Putrajaya. After spending a year as chairman of the Department of Cooperative Development Malaysia Tribunal, he assumed the position of Head of Prosecution Unit/Deputy Public Prosecutor at Malaysia’s Central Bank. Returning to AGC, he once again headed the Commercial Crime Unit from 2003 to 2004 before being appointed Director of Enforcement at the Securities Commission Malaysia, a role he fulfilled until 2007.

On 1 March 2007, Abang Hashim was appointed as a judicial commissioner and concurrently chaired the Appeal Board of the Board of Engineers Malaysia. He served on the High Courts in Shah Alam, Selangor, and later in Kuala Lumpur, where he was confirmed as a full High Court judge in October 2009. In 2013, he was transferred to preside over cases at the High Court in Penang.

His elevation to the Court of Appeal of Malaysia occurred on 30 September 2013. Subsequently, on 26 November 2018, he was appointed as a Federal Court judge, joining Malaysia’s highest court.

As the most senior judge from East Malaysia within the Federal Court, Abang Hashim was named acting Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak (CJSS) on 20 February 2020. His appointment was made permanent on 25 February 2020 following formal approval by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Following Rohana Yusuf’s retirement in November 2022, he initially assumed the role of President of the Court of Appeal in an acting capacity. His permanent appointment to this office was confirmed two months later.

Malaysian Honours

- Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (PSM) – awarded the title Tan Sri (2021)
- Officer of the Order of the Defender of State (DSPN) – conferred with Dato' (2013)
- Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak (DA) – bestowed with Datuk Amar (2022)

References