Chief Justice (CJ) Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh said the move was “born out of reform” and aims to keep the courts aligned with today’s dynamic business realities. (The Edge filepix by Zahid Izzani)
KUALA LUMPUR (March 2): The Malaysian judiciary has launched the International Commercial and Admiralty Division (ICAD) at the Kuala Lumpur High Court to speed up business and maritime dispute resolutions and boost investor confidence.
The creation of ICAD responds to the heavy load on the current commercial division, which handled around 8,000–9,600 cases per year in 2024–2025, making it difficult to manage international disputes efficiently.
At the launch on Monday, Chief Justice (CJ) Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh said the move was “born out of reform” and aims to keep the courts aligned with today’s dynamic business realities.
"Let me say something that judges do not always say openly, but which I believe needs to be said: time is money.”
"This is not a diminishment of justice — it is an acknowledgment of reality. When a multinational company finds itself in a commercial dispute, every month that dispute remains unresolved carries a cost. It ties up capital. It disrupts business planning. It strains commercial relationships. It creates uncertainty on balance sheets.
"For investors and businesses operating across borders, prolonged litigation is not merely an inconvenience — it is a material risk that factors into decisions about where to invest, where to incorporate, and where to resolve disputes," he said.
ICAD will handle international commercial disputes involving foreign companies with operations in Malaysia, as well as maritime (admiralty) cases. These include breach of contract, cross-border claims, and arbitration enforcement in Malaysia.
High Court judge Wan Muhammad Amin Wan Yahya, currently in the KL High Court’s Commercial Division, will lead ICAD in Kuala Lumpur.
ICAD will handle cases with discipline to ensure resolutions within a reasonable timeframe, targeting nine months per case. Appeals will also be managed within this period, with support from Court of Appeal President Datuk Seri Abu Bakar Jais. Previously, a case would take more than nine months, excluding the appeal process.
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