Tan Sri Datuk Amar Steve Shim Lip Kiong (; born 20 January 1940) is a Malaysian lawyer and

judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

who served as the third

Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak The Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak ( Malay: ''Hakim Besar Sabah dan Sarawak''; ), formerly the Chief Justice of Borneo, is the office and title of the head of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak. The title has been in use since 24 June 1994, ...

Early life and education

Shim was born in

Kuching Kuching (), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak River ...

in the then- British protectorate state of Raj of Sarawak. He completed his A Level studies in Westminster College, London, United Kingdom in 1962 before receiving his barrister-at-law from the Inner Temple in 1969. In 1980, Shim graduated from the Faculty of International and Comparative Law at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium with a Master of Laws (Honours) (LL.M. (Hons.)).http://www.kgcourt.sarawak.gov.my/kgcourt/Write_up/CJ%20Profile-No.2.htm

Career

1970 & 1980s

Shim's career in the legal service began on 10 August 1970 when he became a cadet legal officer. By 1977, he was made a registrar at the High Court of Borneo. In between, Shim had also served as a crown counsel and magistrate. His career then progressed further when he was appointed as a sessions courts judge in 1989.

1990 & 2000s

On 1 March 1992, Shim was appointed as a judicial commissioner at the High Court in Sibu. He served in that capacity for just five months before being promoted as judge of the same High Court in August 1992. As a High Court judge, Shim took postings in Kuching and later Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia, beginning 1996. Having served as a High Court judge for almost eight years, Shim was chosen to take over duties as acting Chief Judge of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak in July 2000. He officially ascended to the fourth highest judicial office in Malaysia, after the

Chief Justice of Malaysia The Chief Justice of Malaysia (Malay: ''Ketua Hakim Negara Malaysia''), also known as the chief justice of the Federal Court, is the office and title of the head of the Malaysian judiciary system. The title has been in use since 1994, and pr ...

President of the Court of Appeal of Malaysia The President of the Court of Appeal of Malaysia (Malay: ''Presiden Mahkamah Rayuan''), is the office and title of the deputy head of the Malaysian judiciary system. The title has been in use since 24 June 1994, when the Court of Appeal of Malay ...

and

Chief Judge of Malaya The high courts in Malaysia are the third-highest courts in the hierarchy of courts of Malaysia, courts, after the Federal Court of Malaysia, Federal Court and the Court of Appeal (Malaysia), Court of Appeal. Article 121 of the Constitution of Ma ...

, in September 2000. Shim retired from the legal service on 19 July 2006.

2010s

In 2011, Shim was selected to chair the newly-created National Wage Consultative Council placed under the Ministry of Human Resources of Malaysia. Following the loss of Mohammad Najib Abdul Razak and his Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in the

14th Malaysian general election The 2018 Malaysian General Election, formally known as the 14th Malaysian General Election (), was held on Wednesday, 9 May 2018, for members of the 14th Parliament of Malaysia. At stake were all 222 seats in the Dewan Rakyat (the legislature' ...

, Shim was selected to chair a special tribunal formed in 17 October 2018 to probe and seek the removal of six members of the

Election Commission of Malaysia The Election Commission of Malaysia ( ms, Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya Malaysia), abbreviated SPR or EC, is a commission set up for ensuring fair and equitable operations in undertaking the elections in Malaysia. Its establishment is mandated by ex ...

(SPR) after thirteen charges were framed against the latter. In May 2019, Shim deemed the matter academic and announced that the tribunal has decided to no longer proceed its probe after the personnel in question all opted for early resignation. This decision earned him a rebuke from the Attorney General of Malaysia, Tommy Thomas.

Honours

* : **

Officer of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (KMN) (1988) ** MY Darjah Jasa Negara - Order of Meritorious Service - PJN

Commander of the Order of Meritorious Service (PJN) - Datuk (1998) **

Commander of the

Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia The Most Esteemed Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Setia Mahkota Malaysia) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country and awarded by the sovereign. The order was instituted on ...

(PSM) - Tan Sri (2001) * : ** MY-SAR Medal of Public Administration - Pingat Pentadbiran Awam

Meritorious Service Medal-Silver (PPB) ** Companion of the

Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak The Darjah Yang Amat Mulia Bintang Kenyalang Sarawak (Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak) is the second highest order group (in the group of orders) of the orders, decorations, and medals of Sarawak. The order was instituted in 1970, and was r ...

(JBK) ** Knight Commander of the

(DA) - Datuk Amar (2002)http://www.istiadat.gov.my/v8/images/stories/dkbp_negeri_update/2002.pdf

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shim, Steve Lip Kiong Living people 1940 births Malaysian people of Hakka descent People from Kuching 20th-century Malaysian judges 21st-century Malaysian judges Malaysian people of Chinese descent Knights Commander of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak Officers of the Order of the Defender of the Realm Commanders of the Order of Meritorious Service Commanders of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia Vrije Universiteit Brussel alumni Members of the Inner Temple