Anwar's ‘Reformasi' reversal? Malaysia's judicial bulwark faces a familiar siege
Four decades after her first revolt against judicial interference, she was once again on the streets – this time, joined by hundreds protesting against Prime Minister
Anwar Ibrahim 's alleged meddling in the appointment of
Malaysia 's top judges.
What felt like history repeating itself was in fact the country's legal practitioners taking a stand in defence of Malaysia's fragile system of legal checks and balances, the 68-year-old veteran lawyer told This Week in Asia.
'We have had to watch [the government] like a hawk and constantly keep tabs, which we never wanted to do,' she said, her frustration sharpened by experience. And Ambiga is far from alone.
Around 1,000 lawyers marched on the prime minister's office in the administrative capital of Putrajaya on July 14, accusing Anwar of overstepping his mandate. Thousands more lent their support to the peaceful protest's call for an urgent course correction.
Ambiga Sreenevasan speaks at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur in 2013. Photo: AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
44 minutes ago
- South China Morning Post
US cuts leave North Koreans reliant on state propaganda
With the flick of a switch in Washington, a lifeline of independent news into North Korea has gone dark, prompting warnings that it will leave the country's 26 million people more isolated than ever. The abrupt halt to funding, passed by the US Senate earlier this month , ends long-standing American support for cross-border broadcasts and clandestine media channels that provided North Koreans with one of the few opportunities to access information unfiltered by state propaganda. Among the most prominent casualties are Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, US-funded broadcasters that have for decades delivered Korean-language news, human rights reporting and glimpses of life beyond North Korea's borders. 'In the long term, we risk knowing less about the human rights situation in North Korea, as less and less information will be coming out of the country,' said Teppei Kasai, Asia programme officer at Human Rights Watch Japan. 'The international community, including Japan, will then naturally have to rely on official statements by the North Korean government, which don't carry a lot of credibility.' The Voice of America headquarters near the US Capitol in Washington on March 17. Photo: EPA-EFE
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
China champions ‘inclusive AI' framework to win the hearts and minds of developing world
Advertisement In his keynote speech on Saturday at the opening of the three-day World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai , Li proposed the establishment of an international organisation to form a global governance framework for AI, unifying nations' different regulatory approaches to the technology. Li also put forward Beijing's support for the open-source development trend in AI, while upholding freer exchanges of research and talent in this fast-growing industry. Still, China's advocacy for inclusiveness, equality and joint governance in AI is likely to face scrutiny in the West – particularly in the US, which promotes a different set of values and approach to AI governance. The White House's new AI Action Plan leaves the core of American policy towards China unchanged, despite US President Donald Trump 's recent concessions and shifts in rhetoric. Advertisement
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Transparency key to easing regional concerns over Tibet mega-dam
When Premier Li Qiang broke ground for the construction of the Yarlung Tsangpo mega-dam, he marked the start of one of the most extraordinary infrastructure projects in world history. Advertisement Located in Medog, a remote county on the Tibetan Plateau, the super-dam could produce, when completed, three times the output of the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze and will play a decisive role in China's commitment to become carbon-neutral by 2060. It will be a big part of the renewable energy mix that includes solar and wind power, not only in the Tibet autonomous region but for central China as well. As part of a national project to integrate the Tibetan region with development and economic growth, the renewable energy bonanza from the dam will promote population growth, tourism, and resource exploration and extraction. The 1.2 trillion yuan (US$167 billion) dam will benefit not only the local economy, but also regional development. By harnessing the river's 2,000m elevation drop in the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, the world's deepest, it can potentially provide 300 million people with clean power, including in nearby countries such as Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, India and Myanmar, stimulating regional economic development. Bangladesh and Myanmar suffer frequent power outages and can especially benefit from the dam's projected excess capacity. This is not to deny the countries are sceptical . India is especially opposed to the project and is planning an 11.2-gigawatt dam downstream to assert its water rights. Beijing is well aware of the controversy. The foreign ministry has said rigorous environmental protection and mitigation efforts will be made during construction, and transparency will be maintained through communication with countries downstream. Advertisement It needs to do more. To mitigate transborder disputes, it won't be enough to just say there will be 'no negative impact' downstream. China can build confidence through engagement and transparency. Timely data-sharing on dam conditions and water levels will certainly help.
