Those who think that the appointments of Chief Justice Md Raus Sharif and Court of Appeal president Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin as additional judges are unconstitutional can challenge the appointments in court.

This is the stand of Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Azalina Othman Said, which she expressed when addressing concerns raised after the judicial appointments of the duo.

"Any party that is of the view that the appointment of the chief justice is unconstitutional can bring the matter to court in accordance with the existing law," she said.

Azalina defended the appointments, claiming that they are in line with Article 122(1A) of the Federal Constitution.

"This provision clearly states that the appointment of the additional judges is the absolute power of Yang di-Pertuan Agong upon the advice of the chief justice.

"The constitution does not prohibit any additional judge appointed to the Federal Court from continuing to hold any position," she added.

As such, she urged all parties to stop making it a polemical issue.

"In the meantime, all parties should respect the appointments of the two additional judges, which were approved by the Agong," she said.

On July 7, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) issued a statement that Md Raus would continue to hold the post of chief justice for another three years, beginning Aug 4, after being appointed as an additional judge.

The Malaysian Bar described the appointments as "blatantly unconstitutional" and announced that it would hold an emergency meeting on the matter.

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim questioned if prominent lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah was involved in the extension of the respective tenures of Md Raus and Zulkefli.

Azalina, who is charge of legal affairs, said that it was the then chief justice, Arifin Zakaria, who on March 30 had advised the Agong on the appointments of Md Raus and Zulkefli.

She contended that such appointments were a practice in the judiciary system.

Azalina cited two similar instances in the past, where the then Federal Court judges Jeffrey Tan and S Chelvasingam were appointed as additional judges in 2016 and 1965 respectively.

"Their (Md Raus' and Zulkefli's ) expertise and experience are needed in the judiciary system," she said.

Azalina, who attended the monthly assembly of the Legal Affairs Division in Putrajaya today, declined to respond to Anwar's allegation that Shafee was behind the appointments.

"No comment. I don't know," she said.

Yesterday, Anwar urged Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to come clean on this matter.

Shafee defended the move to extend the judges' tenure, saying it was legal.

In May, Shafee landed in the limelight after the London-based Sawarak Report website claimed that Najib had paid him RM9.5 million in two tranches.

Shafee was appointed lead prosecutor by former attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail when Anwar's Sodomy II case reached the Court of Appeal and Federal Court stages.