Rafizi warns of fallout for PH over judicial appointment issue
Rafizi, who is among nine PKR members of parliament who called for a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the appointment of top judicial positions, said this during a forum on the issue last night.
The Pandan MP also said the push from the MPs was not an act of sabotage against PKR, whose president, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, is also prime minister.
"If we do not speak up and this issue is not handled well, the impact on PH will be more severe. The impact on the country will be worse because voters and ordinary people who believe this country has a chance for change will feel that all hope is lost, that all politicians are the same.
"If that is how the people feel, if PH loses (the 16th General Election) after this, if (DAP chairman) Gobind Singh Deo wants to talk about the judiciary, who will care? I don't think anyone will care anymore," he said at the Public Forum: Judicial Integrity last night.
Rafizi said the push for an RCI served as an early warning to the government that its actions must be supported by all government MPs.
"It's better to listen to us, the seniors, rather than (others who are supposedly) trying to protect the prime minister, politically. This is because Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim does not need protection. He only needs to do what is best," he said.
He said the best thing for Anwar to do is to ensure that if a judge's credibility has been questioned, their name should be dropped from the nomination process.
Last week, Rafizi and eight other PKR MPs publicly urged the government to establish an RCI to probe alleged interference in judicial appointments.
At least 20 PKR divisions in Johor and Kedah have called for the MPs to be suspended for breaching party discipline over the push for an RCI.
Yesterday, PKR secretary-general Datuk Dr Fuziah Salleh said the party is looking into the calls for the MPs to face disciplinary action.
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