No last-minute switch in judicial appointments, says Anwar

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has denied last-minute changes in the list of judicial appointment nominations submitted to the Conference of Rulers.

He said he had followed the process under the Federal Constitution, expressing his belief that the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) should not be politicised.

"In the (Conference of Rulers') meeting, the name we proposed from the beginning was discussed and agreed upon; there was no change.

"Now that this has happened, some people say there was a last-minute change - that's not true, you can check," he told the Prime Minister's Office during its monthly assembly this morning.

Anwar previously denied submitting Federal Court judge Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh’s name for consideration to become the chief justice, a move seen by some as an attempt to dispel suspicions that recent leaks influenced the decision.

Concerns were raised after the retirement of top judges without the announcement of their successors.

Tensions also mounted after the leak of purported JAC meeting minutes from May, which appeared to corroborate allegations of judicial interference that surfaced last month after a police report lodged on the judge’s behalf was also leaked.

The issue finally culminated in the appointments of Court of Appeal judge Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh as the new chief justice, Federal Court judge Abu Bakar Jais as the new president of the Court of Appeal, and Court of Appeal judge Azizah Nawawi as the chief judge of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak.

Punished for silence

Hitting back against critics who accused him of stacking judicial posts with judges who will favour him in the Yusoff Rawther lawsuit against him, Anwar said it was a civil matter, not a criminal one.

The premier went on to condemn his critics, saying that they had judged and punished him for his silence.

"I cannot precede (the Conference of Rulers), so however they criticise me, I have to say that I followed the process (but that) makes them (critics) even angrier," he said.

A political science analyst from the International Islamic University Malaysia previously said the alleged leak of JAC meeting minutes tarnished Anwar's reformist image as it contradicted his promises to maintain the separation of powers.

Syaza Shukri also opined that Anwar's severest critics were also his supporters.

Despite the announcement filling the vacancies of top judicial posts, Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli continued to call for the formation of a royal commission of inquiry and for the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on the judiciary to probe allegations of judicial interference.

While welcoming the new appointments, the PKR lawmaker said it did not immediately resolve existing issues surrounding judicial appointments, including the prime minister’s powers to reject JAC recommendations.

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