Hundreds of Malaysian lawyers march to Anwar's office over judicial appointment controversy
These include the immediate appointment of top judges and a Royal Commission of Inquiry into alleged political interference in the judiciary.
The lawyers, dressed in black suits and holding placards, chanted slogans before commencing their walk to the Prime Minister's Office at about 2.30pm, according to local news outlet Free Malaysia Today.
The Malaysian Bar, which organised the 'Walk to Safeguard Judicial Independence', said the walk is 'not political in nature'. Rather, it is aimed at expressing grave institutional concerns about the state of the judiciary, prolonged vacancies, the need for leadership continuity, and to call for reforms to safeguard the judiciary's independence.
They were joined in the march by politicians from both sides of the aisle - including Anwar's daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar - as well as members of non-governmental groups, with the crowd estimated to be 1,000.
The Anwar government has been under pressure in recent weeks after two top judges retired without replacement, sparking claims of disagreement between his administration and the judiciary and allegations of political interference in such appointments.
Adding to the tension, a document allegedly containing excerpts from a Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) meeting held in May went viral on social media over the weekend.
The JAC's main function is to select suitably qualified persons for appointment as judges of the superior court. It is an exclusive panel of nine made up of judges as well as current and former members of the legal fraternity and its meetings are highly confidential.
POLITICIANS AMONG THOSE WHO JOIN MARCH
According to the New Straits Times, participants of Monday's march were closely monitored by over 100 police officers, including personnel from the Criminal Investigation Department, with a police drone observed overhead.
The Malaysian Bar, which represents around 23,645 lawyers in Peninsular Malaysia, concluded its 2.6km march with the handing over of a memorandum at the Prime Minister's office at about 3pm on Monday, reported the New Straits Times.
In its memorandum, the Malaysian Bar has called for:
Judicial leadership positions to be filled as soon as possible by 'judges of integrity, strong character and unblemished reputation, with a proven record of clear, consistent and quality judgements and who are respected by peers and the public'.
The 'immediate release' of meeting minutes of a JAC meeting held on May 16 and urgent inquiries into alleged interference in judicial affairs.
The establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate if there has been any interference with the judiciary.
Expeditious filling of the numerous vacancies in the judiciary, which it said has led to a 'looming crisis that must be averted immediately'
'Today, we exercise the right to peaceful assembly guaranteed by the constitution and upheld by the prime minister … in the spirit of reform and justice, which are the foundations of Keadilan (PKR), we need to improve the existing structure by making it more transparent,' Nurul Izzah told reporters.
She has called for a probe into allegations of judicial interference and leak of what is believed to be confidential minutes from the JAC meeting.
'It is important that these allegations be investigated to restore our trust in our judiciary,' said the eldest daughter of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Monday, as quoted by local news outlet The Star.
Among other prominent figures spotted at the rally were Islamic party Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan, who had confirmed his opposition party's participation earlier on Friday.
Other political figures like former Dewan Negara president Rais Yatim and former Deputy Minister of Human Resources and PAS Member of Parliament Awang Hashim were also seen, according to Free Malaysia Today.
The Dewan Negara is the upper house of the Parliament of Malaysia. Rais is a former law minister from the United Malays National Organisation, which is now part of Anwar's coalition government.
Notable members of the legal fraternity - former attorney-general Tommy Thomas and former Malaysian Bar presidents Ambiga Sreenevasan and Karen Cheah, as well as lawyer Siti Kassim, were also spotted outside the Palace of Justice on Monday afternoon, local media reported.
WHAT NEXT?
On Jul 3, it was announced that Malaysia's third-ranked judge, Chief Judge of Malaya Hasnah Mohammed Hashim, will take on the duties of the Chief Justice following Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat's retirement the day before, as she reached the mandatory retirement age of 66.
Then-President of the Court of Appeal Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim retired a day later.
The judicial vacancies at the highest level have caused disquiet in Malaysia's legal and political circles.
Earlier last week, nine Members of Parliament from Anwar's (PKR) called for an RCI into high-profile vacancies in the country's judiciary and for the prime minister to be summoned for an explanation.
They include former Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli and former Environment Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who both resigned from the Cabinet in May following defeats in the PKR's internal elections.
On Sunday, Rafizi, who is PKR's former deputy president, also warned that the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition risks losing the support of its core supporters over the judiciary issues.
He also said that the push from the other backbencher MPs was not an act of sabotage against PKR, whose president is Anwar.
'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,' he was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.
However, the party has said that it is looking into calls for the nine MPs to face a disciplinary probe or be temporarily suspended for their actions.
Meanwhile, various politicians including opposition bloc Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman and former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin have called for an investigation into allegations of abuse of power and judicial interference after the leak of the supposed excerpts from the JAC meeting held in May.
The excerpts from the purported minutes had said that the former chief justice had raised concerns about the integrity of a candidate for an administrative post in the judiciary, Free Malaysia Today reported.
There were also claims made in the meeting minutes that the judge in question had once attempted to influence the outcome of a case in favour of a specific party and had sought the transfer of a fellow judge for holding a different view.
'These claims must be thoroughly investigated and corrective action must be taken to ensure that judicial appointments are made with integrity so that public confidence in the judiciary as a pillar of justice remains intact,' Muhyiddin said on Monday, as quoted by Free Malaysia Today.
He added that if these claims were indeed true, the appointment of the judge in question would violate Section 23(2)(a) of the JAC Act 2009 on judicial integrity.
Malaysian authorities have launched an investigation into the alleged leak of the meeting minutes under the Official Secrets Act and two other laws.
The JAC vets and recommends candidates for judges to the prime minister.
Under the Federal Constitution, the King is the one who appoints judges in Malaysia's top courts, based on the prime minister's advice and after consulting the Conference of Rulers.
The Conference of Rulers is expected to meet from this Tuesday to Thursday.
Law Minister Azalina Othman Said has said that the Cabinet assures that the vacancies for the two highest-ranked posts in the judiciary will be filled according to the Federal Constitution and the relevant laws.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
29 minutes ago
- CNA
'Be quiet. If you continue, AIDS': Malaysian ex-minister Rafizi alleges threats received after attack on son
PUTRAJAYA: Hours after his son was allegedly jabbed with a syringe at a shopping mall in Putrajaya, Malaysia's former economy minister Rafizi Ramli said on Thursday (Aug 14) that his family received threatening messages telling him to stop speaking up on national issues. 'The attack is clearly a threat as there were messages sent to us … in my opinion, the threats are related to my role as a Member of Parliament and as a politician,' the MP for Pandan in Selangor said at a press conference. The alleged attack on Wednesday has drawn condemnation from politicians on both sides of the aisle, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim calling for an immediate and transparent probe. SYRINGE ATTACK AND TEXT THREATS According to Rafizi, his wife and 12-year-old son were about to enter their car after leaving a shopping mall in Putrajaya at about 1.45pm when a man grabbed his son and jabbed him with a syringe. There are no details as to which part of the boy's body was jabbed. 'In my view, the attack had been planned in advance,' Rafizi said in a Wednesday statement, adding that his own checks revealed that two men on a motorcycle had been following his wife's car before that. He described the two assailants - both dressed in black and wearing full-face helmets - as having waited for the 'right moment' to attack his son. The boy is in stable condition and is receiving treatment at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Hospital, local media reported. 'Throughout my time as a high-profile politician, this is the first time my family has been the target of such an attack and threats,' Rafizi said in his Wednesday statement. 'I believe the attack is a warning for me not to be vocal on various issues … I will not bow down to any threats and will carry out my duties as usual.' Selangor police chief Shazeli Kahar said on Wednesday that authorities are tracking down two male suspects and have obtained closed-circuit television footage from the mall, reported local news outlet The New Straits Times. Shazeli added that the incident is believed to have occurred at the pick-up and drop-off area, without identifying the exact mall. In his Thursday remarks, Rafizi said his wife received two text messages from an unknown number in the wake of the incident, threatening their son with an AIDS infection. The first came in shortly after 1am on Thursday, reading: 'Be quiet. If you continue, AIDS,' local news site Free Malaysia Today quoted Rafizi as saying. The same message came in again at around 11am, followed by three syringe emojis. Rafizi said he has reported this latest incident to the police. The former economy minister said he suspects the attack was linked to a case he was looking into, adding that he had met with a group of whistleblowers just last week. 'In my opinion, this is an attempt to silence me and they want me to drop the case,' Rafizi said on Thursday, without disclosing the case he was referring to. Rafizi stepped down as economy minister after losing the deputy president role of his political party, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), to Anwar's daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar on May 23. He remains in the party and continues to serve as MP for Pandan. In early July, Rafizi and eight other PKR MPs called for a royal inquiry and parliamentary investigation into high-profile judicial vacancies, which CNA previously reported posed a stern political test for Anwar. Later that same month, Rafizi urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to open an investigation into Anwar's former political aide over allegations linked to a mineral exploration licence in Sabah. BIPARTISAN CONDEMNATION Both the government and politicians across party lines have condemned the alleged attack. In a brief statement on Wednesday, Anwar said he had informed Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to ensure an 'immediate and transparent' probe into what he described as a 'malicious' and 'treacherous' assault. 'Praying for the best for Rafizi and his family,' Anwar added. Meanwhile, Saifuddin has assured that investigations into the attack will be conducted fairly and in accordance with the law, without regard to the status or background of any party involved. He also urged the public to refrain from making speculations and allow the police to carry out investigations according to the law, local media reported. Malaysia's opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional has also condemned the attack, with opposition chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan describing the attack as 'completely unacceptable'. Commenting on Rafizi's claim that the attack was a warning to silence him, Takiyuddin said that if proven true, it would represent a 'disturbing development of thuggish politics' which could pose a serious threat to the country's democratic landscape. 'Differences in political views should never lead to threats or physical violence, especially when children are involved,' said Takiyuddin, as quoted by Free Malaysia Today.
Business Times
an hour ago
- Business Times
Anwar orders ‘transparent' probe of syringe attack on ex-minister's son
[KUALA LUMPUR] Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called for a 'transparent and swift investigation' after former minister Rafizi Ramli said his son had been attacked with a syringe at a mall parking lot on Wednesday (Aug 13) afternoon. Rafizi said a man had dragged his son away and stabbed his son with a syringe as his wife and the boy were about to enter their car and leave a mall in Putrajaya, the country's administrative capital. The assault was premeditated – a warning that was meant to silence him, he said. His wife received two threatening messages after the incident, according to Rafizi. The messages read: 'Shut up, if you continue, AIDS.' The second text, via WhatsApp, was followed by three syringe emojis, the lawmaker said at a press briefing in Kuala Lumpur. It would take another six months to determine whether the substance injected into the boy was viral in nature, he said. Since resigning from his post as economy minister in June, Rafizi has been critical of the government despite being a member of the ruling party. He had called for a royal inquiry into alleged interference in the judiciary, and more recently criticised the education minister for encouraging school children to chant happy birthday and express their love to the prime minister. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up The attack on Rafizi's son was malicious and deceitful, Anwar said in a post on Facebook late Wednesday, adding that he had contacted Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail on the matter. 'Checks showed that two men on a motorcycle had followed my wife's car,' Rafizi said in a statement late Wednesday. 'In my opinion, they had planned the attack in advance.' The two men, who were dressed in black and wore full-face helmets, had been waiting for the right time to assault his son, Rafizi said. The boy was taken to the hospital for treatment and a police report was lodged. Local media, including the Star, reported that he's 12 years old. 'God willing, while I will take further steps to increase security, I will not succumb to any threats and will continue to carry out my duties as usual,' the former minister said. Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin said on Wednesday that the police have been mobilised to conduct a thorough investigation to identify and bring those responsible to justice. 'The investigation will be conducted fairly and in accordance with the law, without regard to anyone's status or background,' he said in a statement. Rafizi said he believed the attackers were trying to influence him through his wife and son, and the assault may be related to a meeting he had last week with a group of whistleblowers on a scandal. For now, they are ruling out that the substance injected into his son was poison or drugs, he said. 'My son is recovering well, and he's in good spirits,' Rafizi said. 'But of course, we will have to assess him.' BLOOMBERG
CNA
17 hours ago
- CNA
MINDEF to recruit 3,000 personnel this year, including 1,000 specialists for classified tech roles
Singapore's Defence Ministry will step up recruitment this year, bringing in about 3,000 new personnel. Of these, 1,000 will be specialists for classified technology roles. Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing said this is aimed at strengthening the nation's defence capabilities in a "much less secure" world. He was speaking at a defence scholarship event. 82 young Singaporeans have been given Defence Ministry and Singapore Armed Forces scholarships this year. Chloe Teo speaks with two SAF scholars.
