Subdued coverage of new Appeals Court president

It is strange that the appointment of Federal Court judge Datuk Abdul Malek Ahmad as Court of Appeal president has received so little publicity in the mainstream media.

Abdul Malek is highly regarded in legal circles for his ability and integrity.

Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang has welcomed his appointment as the "first bright spot in more than 15 years in the bleak and desolate scene of the justice system which will be greeted with unalloyed joy by the legal fraternity and the civil society."

The New Straits Times reported that the Conference of Rulers had endorsed Abdul Malek’s appointment as the Court of Appeal president. The Star on the other hand carried a tiny report in its inside pages.

But on the whole it seems strange that such good news has been largely played down in the mainstream media, which usually like to trumpet "feel good" news in its main pages.

Is there more to this story of Malek Ahmad's elevation than meets
the eye?