Ex-CJ's tenure not extended because of Malta speech, claims ex-law minister
PETALING JAYA : A former law minister claims that former chief justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat failed to get an extension because she had inferred that the prime minister interfered with judicial appointments.
Referring to a speech she made in Malta, Nazri Aziz said that Tengku Maimun should have raised her concerns over possible judicial interference privately, the Scoop reported.
Instead, Tengku Maimun chose an international stage to do so, he said.
'If you feel the prime minister has interfered, then the matter should have been handled quietly. You speak to the prime minister and tell him, 'we feel you have interfered'.
'This should have been done behind closed doors, not in Malta!' he was quoted as saying.
At the 24th Commonwealth Law conference in Malta in April, Tengku Maimun said that removing the prime minister's role in the appointment of judges can help dislodge the perception of political influence in the judiciary.
She also revealed there had been proposals of late that the Judicial Appointments Commission Act 2009 and the Federal Constitution be amended to remove the role of the prime minister in the appointment of judges.
'Such changes, in my view, would reinforce the impartiality of the selection process, ensuring that judicial appointments remain firmly grounded on merit and free from any perception of political influence.'
Nazri went on to say that Tengku Maimun's actions were unacceptable, especially at a time when Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was travelling extensively to bring investments into the country.
He also disagreed with a suggestion by a lawyer that Tengku Maimun was not referring to Anwar when she made the remarks.
'You are the sitting chief justice. Anwar is the sitting prime minister. So you must be referring to him.'
Tengku Maimun, he pointed out, had previously spoken on the need for a good relationship among the three pillars of government, namely the judiciary, executive and legislative.
Nazri said a constructive and balanced relationship between the judiciary and the other branches of government is essential to preserving judicial independence while respecting the democratic mandate of Parliament.
He said Tengku Maimun had previously stated that there is no contest for supremacy and that in Malaysia, the constitution is supreme.
'She should take a leaf from her own speech.'
Tengku Maimun, who served as the country's 16th chief justice, retired on July 5. She became the first woman to helm the judiciary when she was appointed in 2019.
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