Advertisement
Malaysia
This Week in AsiaPolitics

What’s going on with Malaysia’s judiciary? Lawmakers want Anwar to ‘clear the air’

Former ministers Rafizi and Nik Nazmi are calling for royal and parliamentary inquiries into the alleged irregularities

Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Rafizi Ramli (front, centre) and eight other PKR lawmakers have called on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to explain the delay in appointing two top Malaysian judges. Photo: Facebook/Rafizi Ramli
Hadi Azmi
Senior Malaysian lawmakers are calling for both a royal inquiry and a parliamentary investigation into Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim over alleged irregularities in judicial appointments, warning that such actions risk plunging the country’s judiciary into scandal once again.
Last week, Anwar’s administration declined to extend the tenure of widely respected chief justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat and Court of Appeal president Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim. This leaves the future leadership of the nation’s top courts in limbo as four more senior judges are set to retire by year’s end.

Top lawmakers have accused Anwar of being slow to act despite the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) having already nominated candidates to succeed the two top judges and submitted its recommendations to the prime minister.

Advertisement

On Monday, nine backbenchers from Anwar’s People’s Justice Party (PKR), led by former economy minister Rafizi Ramli, called upon the two institutions to summon the prime minister to “clear the air”, warning that the controversy had now escalated into a crisis.

“The biggest issue that the public should be worried about is the integrity of the judiciary,” Rafizi said. “You cannot bury your head in the sand; it will not go away.”

The Palace of Justice, also known as Istana Kehakiman, houses the Malaysian Court of Appeal and Federal Court. Photo: Shutterstock
The Palace of Justice, also known as Istana Kehakiman, houses the Malaysian Court of Appeal and Federal Court. Photo: Shutterstock

Standing alongside him were former environment minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad and other senior PKR lawmakers.

Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x