Zaid urges AG to act against attacks on judge for rejecting Anwar's bid

Summary

• Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim urges the AG to do the right thing by initiating contempt proceedings against those who attacked judge Roz Mawar Rozain over her recent ruling.

• He says MCMC must “pull down these stupid and libellous” material.

Zaid Ibrahim has called on Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar to initiate contempt proceedings against individuals purportedly attacking High Court judge Roz Mawar Rozain on social media for rejecting Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s application in relation to Yusof Rawther’s lawsuit.

“Shouldn’t the AG do the right thing by initiating contempt proceedings against the thugs or agency behind the attack on the judge?

“And shouldn’t MCMC do the same to pull down these stupid and libellous material from the internet?” said Zaid (above), in a post on X.

The former law minister suggested that the ruling had provoked a backlash among Anwar’s supporters.

“These attacks may serve to pressure or intimidate the bench before the full hearing, especially if the public is primed to view an adverse decision against the prime as unjust or politically motivated.

“Court is the only proper venue for arguing immunity - not TikTok, not Facebook, and certainly not through misleading press statements.

“Respect for the judicial process demands that parties allow the matter to be ventilated in full, before the judges with facts and law - not spin and distortion,” he added.

READ MORE: High Court grounds of judgment rejecting Anwar's bid to pause lawsuit

Zaid stressed that judicial independence depends not only on insulation from interference but also on a mature public understanding of the court’s role.

“Judicial independence is not just about resisting direct interference but also depends on public maturity in accepting that courts decide on law and facts, not political loyalty,” he pointed out.

Trial on June 16

Yusoff filed the civil suit in 2021, alleging that Anwar had sexually assaulted him in October 2018 at the PKR president’s office.

Anwar had sought to refer eight constitutional questions to the Federal Court, centred on whether he enjoyed immunity from civil proceedings.

However, on June 4, Roz Mawar ruled that the questions failed to meet the required threshold. The trial is scheduled to proceed on June 16.

In response, Anwar maintained that the application was not a move to shield himself personally.

“This matter has never been about seeking personal immunity or escaping legal scrutiny.

“It concerns the integrity of our constitutional system and the need to ensure that high public office is protected from litigation that may be strategically timed, politically motivated, or institutionally disruptive,” he added.

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