Puad turns spotlight on Rafizi, Bar Council over ex-top judge's claim

Umno supreme council member Puad Zarkashi is seeking a response from Rafizi Ramli, his group of eight PKR lawmakers, and the Bar Council, following former chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak Abdul Rahman Sebli’s recent allegation regarding internal judicial pressure.

Describing the claim as “shocking”, he questioned the identity of the individuals Rahman referred to as his “colleagues”, pointedly asking whether the group included the recently retired chief justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat.

“All this while various parties have only pointed fingers at the executive, particularly the prime minister,” he said, referencing previous accusations of judicial interference levelled at Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Puad (above) also took aim at prominent opposition figures such as Perikatan Nasional chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin, deputy chairperson Hamzah Zainudin, and former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, questioning their silence on this issue during their rally yesterday.

“This is a shocking revelation. The public is unaware that judicial interference can come from within.

“We hope the outspoken ‘group of nine’ led by Rafizi will demand an RCI (royal commission of inquiry) into this latest issue. Don’t just stop at the JAC (Judicial Appointments Commission) issue,” he said on Facebook.

Rahman’s claim

Puad was responding to remarks made by Rahman in his farewell address in Kuching on Friday, during which the retired judge recounted an incident from his time on the Federal Court bench.

Rahman said he had circulated a draft judgment to the six other judges presiding over the case.

"Not long after, I received an email from a very senior figure in the judiciary, telling me how wrong my interpretation of the constitutional issue was," he said.

Rahman noted that he was then relatively junior to the individuals who attempted to influence him and that the communication clearly implied he should conform to their views.

He suggested that those interested in further details consult the judgment, which was published in a book launched earlier that evening.

Rahman emphasised that judicial independence must be safeguarded not only from executive interference, but also from undue influence within the judiciary itself.

“Peer pressure can be a powerful force within the judiciary, potentially affecting judicial decisions and the overall administration of justice,” he said.

MPs’ call for RCI

Earlier this month, Rafizi, along with eight other PKR lawmakers, had called for an RCI into a separate issue - alleged interference in judicial appointments.

They drew parallels to the VK Lingam controversy of the mid-2000s, which eventually led to the establishment of the JAC in 2009.

In addition to the RCI call, Rafizi and his colleagues had urged Anwar to appear before the Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) on the judiciary.

Najib’s case

Puad is a staunch supporter of incarcerated former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, whose loyalists allege had been denied a fair hearing under Tengku Maimun’s watch.

In 2023, Rahman was the sole dissenting voice in the Federal Court’s 4-1 decision to reject Najib’s application to review its 2022 ruling that upheld his conviction for misappropriating RM42 million from SRC International.

In his minority judgment, Rahman argued that Najib should have been acquitted and discharged of all charges, citing a serious miscarriage of justice.

He noted that during the main appeal, Najib was effectively left without legal representation when his lead counsel, Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, declared he was unprepared to make submissions and sought to discharge himself.

Earlier, former attorney-general Apandi Ali, who was appointed by Najib in 2015 after the removal of Abdul Gani Patail amid the 1MDB scandal, called for an investigation into the allegation, taking a swipe at Tengku Maimun.

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