Anwar to finalise top judiciary appointments pending Rulers' consent, says Loke

The Sun

9 hours ago

PETALING JAYA: The appointments to fill several key vacancies in the judiciary including the top post of Chief Justice will be presented to the Conference of Rulers, which is scheduled to convene tomorrow, said DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke.
He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had already provided a detailed briefing on the matter to Pakatan Harapan ministers and Members of Parliament yesterday, ensuring that coalition backbenchers were fully informed.
'I think we now have the full picture from the Prime Minister. Of course, he has updated the Cabinet from time to time but yesterday's session was to give an overall view to our backbenchers,' Loke said at a press conference after officiating the Malaysian Maritime Week 2025.
He added that the Prime Minister had made it clear that a decision would be made soon, pending the consent of the Conference of Rulers.
'We hope that once the Conference of Rulers gives its consent, the decision will be announced,' he said.
Government spokesman and Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil also confirmed yesterday that Pakatan Harapan MPs were briefed on the judiciary appointments, among other national matters, during a nearly two-hour meeting with the Prime Minister in Putrajaya.
The country's judiciary leadership is undergoing a transition, following the retirement of Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat who made history in 2019 as the first woman to hold the post.
Her departure has left a vacancy at the top of the Federal Court bench along with pending appointments to other senior judicial roles.
In the absence of a new appointment, Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Hasnah Mohammed Hashim has stepped in to temporarily carry out the responsibilities of Chief Justice.
Under Article 122B of the Federal Constitution, the Chief Justice and other top judicial appointments such as the President of the Court of Appeal, Chief Judges of Malaya and Sabah and Sarawak as well as Federal Court judges are made by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister and after consulting the Conference of Rulers.
These appointments are typically based on recommendations by the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC), a statutory body established in 2009 to ensure transparency and meritocracy in judicial selections.
The delay in announcing a successor has attracted public attention, particularly from members of the legal fraternity and civil society, who have stressed the importance of maintaining public confidence in the independence and continuity of the judiciary.