Foreign Minister Anifah Aman has reminded the judiciary to act independently and to uphold justice without fear or favour.

Anifah said this in his keynote address at the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) judicial colloquium today, on the sharing of good practices on international human rights laws.

His speech was read out by Foreign Ministry secretary-general Ramlan Ibrahim.

Ramlan expressed the apology from Anifah for not being able to be present at the event held in Kuala Lumpur.

Anifah (photo), while acknowledging the rarity of him having an audience of judges, took the opportunity to say a few words about the judiciary. 

The judiciary, he said, as an arm independent from the executive and legislature, has an inherent duty to promote the universal, inalienable and indivisible rights of the people according to the law of the land.

“The judiciary also serves to check and balance the other two branches of government.

“In doing so, one of the aims of the judiciary is to ensure that human rights are not compromised or encroached,” Anifah said.

The government, he stressed, both valued and respected the country’s judiciary.

“Its independence is vital. Governments are made up of human beings. We are not incapable of making mistakes.

“We are not infallible. The courts are under a sacred duty to act independently, in accordance with their overriding obligation to uphold justice without fear or favour,” he added.

“From upholding the rights of the indigenous people to their native customary land rights, to recognising a woman’s right to non-discrimination in employment on the account of her pregnancy, we have witnessed a more enlightened citizenry ready to claim what they perceive to be their rights.

“It is important that judges, public prosecutors and lawyers are well-informed about the international human rights instruments that have been ratified by Asean member states,” Anifah added.

Chief Justice Arifin Zakaria, who will go on mandatory retirement at the end of this month, has insisted that the government never interferes with the decisions of judges in any court case.

In an interview with Bernama earlier this month, Justice Arifin noted that the courts have also made decisions against both the federal and state governments.