Malaysia has a long tradition of court interpreting; the first interpreters date back to the time of the British administration in the 19th century. In this country, interpreters are usually full-time public servants. Today, the profession appears to be undergoing a crisis; authorities maintain that the need for interpreters is diminishing, while every court authorized to use the services of three interpreters can only count on one, due to lack of personnel. Moreover, nothing suggests that the profession is going to renew itself; the working conditions of interpreters are unattractive to prospective candidates. Because of the current situation, there is a large backlog of cases still awaiting trial. This paper describes the present situation based on a study involving interpreters and employers and links the situation to language planning issues.