International Commercial And Admiralty Division Launched To Expedite Dispute Resolution

KUALA LUMPUR, March 2 (Bernama) -- The establishment of the International Commercial and Admiralty Division (ICAD) at the High Court here is expected to boost investor confidence in Kuala Lumpur as a regional hub for business and dispute resolution.

Chief Justice Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh said ICAD is a direct response to current judicial demands, with greater emphasis on the effective management and expeditious disposal of commercial cases involving multinational and international companies.

“ICAD will bring together judges with deep specialisation in complex commercial and admiralty law. Cases will be actively managed from the point of filing, with proportionate procedures designed to match the sophistication and scale of the disputes they are intended to handle.

“Time is money. Certainty has value. And justice, when delivered with both speed and integrity, is among the most powerful things a nation can offer to those who choose to do business within its shores,” he said when delivering his speech at the launch of ICAD, here today.

Among those present were Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, Court of Appeal President Datuk Seri Abu Bakar Jais, Chief Judge of Malaya Datuk Seri Hashim Hamzah and Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Datuk Azizah Nawawi.

The top judge said the Malaysian judiciary launched ICAD as a reform born of foresight at a time when trade flows are more complex, investment structures more sophisticated, and commercial relationships are more deeply cross-border than at any previous point in history.

He noted that multinational companies require courts they can trust and knowledge that if a dispute arises, it will be resolved with competence, fairness, and speed.

“I am aware that for businesses and investors, confidence in the courts plays a real and practical role in deciding on where to invest and how disputes are resolved. 

“When a foreign investor commits capital to Malaysia, or when a multinational company establishes operations here, they are making a calculation that goes far beyond tax incentives or infrastructure. 

“These are not abstract concerns. They go to the heart of investor confidence. And investor confidence, in turn, goes to the heart of economic growth," he said.

Wan Ahmad Farid added that ICAD signals clearly that Malaysia takes seriously its position not only as a trading nation, but as a maritime nation and that the nation’s courts are fully equipped to serve that reality.

High Court judge Wan Muhammad Amin Wan Yahya has been appointed to preside over the new ICAD court. 

Later, during a press conference, Wan Ahmad Farid said there are currently 116 live cases before ICAD with 54 being admiralty cases. 

“I give myself six months to monitor ICAD's operation. We will see if there is a need to establish more ICAD courts,” he said, adding that every case brought before ICAD takes approximately nine months to resolve.

He further said the judiciary plans to have a standalone court complex for the Commercial Court division in Kuala Lumpur.

For 2024, a total of 7,390 commercial cases were registered at the Kuala Lumpur Commercial Court, and the figure increased to 9,671 last year.

--BERNAMA