
Malaysian Bar hands memo on judicial independence to PMO
Lawyers, including leading figures from the Malaysian Bar, staged a 'Walk to Safeguard Judicial Independence' on Monday (July 14) afternoon, proceeding from the Palace of Justice to the Prime Minister's Office.
The event was attended by members of the Bar, chambers and concerned members of the public, according to Ezri.
ALSO READ: Crowd gathers for 'Walk to Safeguard Judicial Independence'
He said the memorandum was handed to Datuk Zamri Misman, the director-general of the Legal Affairs Division.
'Datuk Zamri was ready and waiting in the office earlier, and has acknowledged receipt of the memorandum,' he told a press conference here on Monday (July 14).
'We saw participation from members of the Bar and people in chambers and members of the public, all united in our call to address the pressing concerns regarding the independence of the judiciary, particularly the ongoing vacancies in the judiciary, the need for institutional continuity and a more transparent and accountable judicial appointment process.'
ALSO READ: Malaysian Bar's walk aimed at defending judicial integrity, not about politics
Ezri stressed that the walk's purpose was to uphold the independence of the judiciary, describing it as a prerequisite for a robust democratic system.
He expressed concern over recent media and social media commentary, urging the government 'to resolve it as soon as possible'.
Highlighting specific concerns raised in the memorandum, he pointed out the alarming judicial vacancies.
'Among the matters raised is the need to fill the existing vacancies in the judiciary… we were informed that some cases have been scheduled as far ahead as the year 2030, and this will disrupt the functioning of the courts and negatively affect clients,' he said.
He confirmed that the memorandum will also be delivered to the Prime Minister.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Lawyer calls for revival of apex court sittings in peninsula's major cities
Appointed last week, Chief Justice Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh will deliver his inaugural policy address on Aug 6. (Wikipedia pic) PUTRAJAYA : A lawyer has called for Chief Justice Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh to revive circuit sittings of the Federal Court and Court of Appeal across Peninsular Malaysia, saying it would improve access to apex court proceedings and foster professional development among younger Bar members. Currently, hearings of both courts are limited to the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya, with designated sittings in Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. 'Both courts could sit occasionally in major cities to hear criminal and civil appeals, allowing young lawyers to observe proceedings and pick up advocacy skills from senior lawyers arguing cases,' said Syed Iskandar Syed Jaafar. He noted that in the past, the top courts had scheduled two- to three-day sittings in Georgetown, Johor Bahru and Kota Bharu. 'This practice should be revived and extended to other towns,' he added, ahead of Wan Ahmad Farid's inaugural policy address, scheduled for Wednesday. Wan Ahmad Farid was appointed chief justice last week. Syed Iskandar also said that circuit sittings would allow local Bar committees and lawyers to engage with the nation's top judges outside formal courtroom settings, strengthening professional ties between the bench and the bar. Former Malaysian Bar president Salim Bashir said reforms in appellate procedures were needed, particularly in the timely delivery of written judgments. 'Prompt delivery of written judgments is one of the key functions of judges, and a failure to do so would violate constitutional guarantees and the public trust,' he said. Salim urged appellate judges to provide written grounds of judgment when ordering retrials or remitting cases for the defence to be called in criminal appeals. He also suggested that retired and senior judges be tapped to mentor serving judges on judgment writing. He warned that the backlog of cases—especially in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor—has worsened over the past year due to delays in replacing retiring judges. 'Some cases that were registered this year were given longer trial dates. This is unfair to those accused languishing in remand prisons without bail,' he said. Lawyer A Srimurugan proposed that Wan Ahmad Farid explore mediation as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism to ease the courts' caseload. 'Cases like defamation, medical negligence, family law, commercial and contractual disputes could be settled out of court without going through lengthy trials and appeals,' he said. 'Individual, family and business reputations could be spared if parties were amicable to settlements, but this needs to be led by experienced judicial minds with a win-win formula for disputing parties.' Counsel Ramesh Sivakumar, meanwhile, urged Wan Ahmad Farid—who also chairs the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC)—to ensure that judicial commissioners are drawn from among the more versatile members of the Bar and the judicial and legal service. 'The JAC must also ensure they are men and women of integrity, impartial and have the ability to make timely judgments and have good legal writing skills,' he said. Ramesh called on the chief justice to appoint senior lawyers to the bench, as did former chief justice Zaki Azmi. 'These lawyers, who were finally promoted to the Court of Appeal, did well in the disposal of cases and wrote some groundbreaking judgments,' he added.


The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
Editorial: Asean diplomacy delivers triumphantly
Working towards peace: Anwar with Malaysia's Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (left) at the ceasefire meeting. The groundwork for that had already been laid by a closed door gathering among foreign ministers last month arranged by Mohamad. — IZZUDIN ABD RAZAK/Prime Minister's Office THE ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, brokered by Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim after nearly a week of armed hostilities along their shared border, is a welcome development for a region desperate to hold onto its stability. We commend Anwar, this year's Asean Chair, for acting swiftly to bring the two sides together to reach an agreement in Putrajaya last Monday. Hundreds of thousands had fled their homes and dozens had died. That the guns have now fallen silent is no small achievement. It was, in Anwar's own words in Jakarta a day later, a 'triumph for all of Asean'. Indeed, the outcome is a reminder of what personal diplomacy can accomplish where institutional mechanisms fall short. No Asean conflict resolution frameworks were invoked; there was no shuttle diplomacy by the Asean Chair's special envoy; no invocation of the High Council under the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation. Instead, it was Anwar's relationships, including longstanding ties to both Hun Sen in Cambodia and Thaksin Shinawatra's faction in Thailand, that made the difference. As Chair of Asean, it was within his prerogative to act, and act he did. We do not view this as a failure of Asean, but rather as an opportunity to reflect on the limits of our current instruments. As a community, Asean must not let its cohesion depend solely on interpersonal familiarity among elites. The next crisis may not afford us such good fortune. It is our hope that Asean leaders take stock of this episode and commit to strengthening the region's formal dispute settlement architecture; not merely to avoid conflict, but to deepen our sense of shared responsibility. Asean's credibility depends on peace among its members. When neighbours go to war, even briefly, the region's attractiveness to investors suffers, and our centrality in the Indo-Pacific order is thrown into question. Yet even as we mark this diplomatic breakthrough, the challenges ahead remain daunting. Reports emerged barely 24 hours after the ceasefire went into effect that both sides had already accused each other of fresh violations. This is, sadly, to be expected. Armies act according to their own logic. It is precisely why we should not entrust the burden of peace to soldiers alone. What we need is a lasting political commitment, supported by trusted civilian institutions, to make peace not just possible, but permanent. The fragility of the current truce speaks to a broader global trend. As one analyst noted in a recent commentary in The Diplomat, we appear to be living in an 'age of ceasefires', a time when conflicts are paused, not resolved, and diplomacy seeks to contain rather than to transform. The war in Ukraine, the unfathomable violence in Gaza, and now the clashes in our own backyard, have all fallen into this pattern. The Financial Times, writing on the neighbourly conflict, described it as a symptom of structural failure: A lack of shared norms, functional forums, and enforceable rules. Certainly, the structures are there; they are merely left unenforced. If we in Asean accept this trend as inevitable, we will only ever reach for the lowest common denominator in moments of crisis. We will settle for fragile pauses instead of forging durable peace. This would be a disservice to the generations who built Asean on the promise of mutual respect, non-violence, and shared prosperity. Let us not squander that legacy. Let us use this ceasefire, not as an endpoint, but as a chance to recommit to a regional order anchored in principles, not personalities. Only then can Asean truly claim to be a community, not just of governments, but of peoples. — The Jakarta Post/ANN


The Star
4 days ago
- The Star
Senegal unveils economic, social recovery plan
DAKAR, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Senegal launched a national economic and social recovery plan on Friday, aimed at addressing domestic structural challenges and responding to concerns from international partners. Speaking at the official launch ceremony in Dakar, the country's capital, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye called on citizens to support the plan, known in Wolof (a West African language spoken mainly in Senegal, the Gambia, and Mauritania) as "Jubanti Komm," noting that the benefits "will go directly to the people." Faye stressed the importance of national self-reliance in overcoming difficulties. He also said international partners have been awaiting a clear stance from the new administration on how it intends to address the existing challenges in the country. Abdourahmane Sarr, Senegal's minister of economy, planning and cooperation, explained that the plan, developed by a task force under the Prime Minister's Office, aims to restore the country's fiscal sovereignty and rebuild investor confidence. According to Sarr, the recovery plan will serve as a foundation for achieving the economic and social goals outlined in "Vision Senegal 2050" and the macroeconomic framework of the 2025-2029 five-year plan. He emphasized that the reform of public finances will be carried out without harming the private sector and will focus on serving the needs of the most vulnerable populations.