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Anwar: I kept silent out of respect for judicial appointment process

Anwar: I kept silent out of respect for judicial appointment process

BUKIT MERTAJAM: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he refrained from commenting on the appointment of the Chief Justice and other senior judges out of respect for the judicial selection process.
He added that this was part of observing a system of checks and balances as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
"For a week, the opposition attacked me, calling me a destroyer of the judiciary. But which judge have I removed? Who has been dismissed? None," he said.
Anwar said he remained silent because the appointment process required the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
"I receive the names from the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC), evaluate them, submit them to the King, and upon His Majesty's approval, they are discussed at the Conference of Rulers.
"Only after I meet with the Rulers to provide an explanation, and the King gives his consent, can I respond," he said.
Anwar was speaking at the launch of the Bumiputera Master Plan, Tunas Madani, and the JKP Sdn Bhd Housing Project at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Penang today.
Yesterday, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, consented to the appointment of Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh as the new Chief Justice.
According to a statement from the Chief Registrar's Office, the decision was made based on the advice of the prime minister and after consulting the Conference of Rulers, in line with Article 122B(1) of the Federal Constitution.
His Majesty also approved the appointments of Datuk Abu Bakar Jais as President of the Court of Appeal, and Datuk Azizah Nawawi as Chief Judge of the High Court in Sabah and Sarawak, replacing the current officeholder who is set to retire.
The appointment and oath-taking ceremony will take place on July 28, 2025, at Istana Negara.
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5 simple questions on the ‘Turun Anwar' campaign
5 simple questions on the ‘Turun Anwar' campaign

Free Malaysia Today

time36 minutes ago

  • Free Malaysia Today

5 simple questions on the ‘Turun Anwar' campaign

I very much hope the authorities will not hinder the 'Turun Anwar' rally — set for this Saturday, July 26 — as I am curious to see who will attend. Will electoral reform group Bersih mobilise? I am very sure Perikatan Nasional will mobilise its supporters. That means thousands of PAS supporters will likely turn up in support of their own leaders whom, they think, can do no wrong. Will Muda turn up in full force with its founder Syed Sadiq Syed Abdul Rahman and acting president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz? Will Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his family make an appearance? What about the family of the late Daim Zainuddin, Mahathir's closest confidant? Will they also show up? Who will attend? I am on pins and needles. Of course, I expect the immature Sabah students — the self-declared future leaders of our country known for their portrait-burning antics — to turn up. No matter who attends, there are five questions I would like to ask the rally goers. First, should Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim be the real target of the rally? In a democracy, as I assume the rally goers know fully well, Anwar will only be forced to step down if Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) — Sarawak's ruling coalition — and Umno were to pull out of the unity government. That would signal the collapse of the current government and trigger an election. Alternatively, if GPS and Umno decide to throw their support behind PN, then we will have a new 'functioning' government. But, as the saying goes, be careful what you wish for. Which reminds me of a funny story. A man in a desert once asked a genie he released from a bottle for one wish — to be wealthy. The genie obliged and heaped treasures on him, only for him to die of thirst a few days later because it never occurred to the man that he should have wished for water. Those unaffiliated to PN who are intending to attend the 'Turun Anwar' rally should perhaps think through what they are asking for. Second question: if Anwar were to step down, who do you see stepping up to replace him? The rally organisers are not calling for the unity government to be removed. But is there an obvious successor within the unity government? Former PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli? But didn't he just resign? That means he is unlikely to be a candidate for the top job. Nurul Izzah Anwar? She is not even an MP. A politician friend of mine suggested Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. Wan Azizah, we remember, opted for Mahathir to be the prime minister in 2018. So, who else is left? We do have deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof. But will MPs from West Malaysia support one from GPS, which has only a few seats in Parliament, for the top post? I do not think so. So we are left with the other deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Which puts us back at square one. Congratulations, 'Turun Anwar' rally goers. My third question. Will those who take over from Anwar be able to resolve issues surrounding the death of former political aide Teoh Beng Hock, Pastor Raymond Koh's disappearance, the potential house arrest of former prime minister Najib Razak or the current stand-off on judicial appointments. Will the likes of PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin, Bersatu secretary-general Azmin Ali, Urimai chairman P Ramasamy, or Muda acting president Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz be able to resolve these issues? How would they go about it? I am really interested to know. The fourth question here is, shouldn't the rally goers also get the people to reject GPS, Umno, DAP, Amanah and PKR? After all, they are all part of the 'failed' government. Perhaps, they can invite Rafizi and former minister Khairy Jamaluddin to tear apart PKR and Umno respectively, someone from Sarawak to do the same to GPS and Ramasamy to disavow DAP. Then, and only then, can we get rid of Anwar and bury his political career once and for all. My final question: shouldn't the rally organiser deploy their forces to the homes of the MPs and urge them to table a no-confidence motion on Anwar? After all, Anwar has said he will allow such a vote to take place in Parliament. So what are they waiting for? Lobby the 152 MPs at their homes, their offices and on their social media platforms. It isn't that difficult to do. To the organisers of the rally, don't bother shouting useless slogans that are bereft of political strategy. Do it right or just stay home and drop your next podcast. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.

Concerns over appointment of AG: Are they about principles of good governance and independence or politics? — Hafiz Hassan
Concerns over appointment of AG: Are they about principles of good governance and independence or politics? — Hafiz Hassan

Malay Mail

timean hour ago

  • Malay Mail

Concerns over appointment of AG: Are they about principles of good governance and independence or politics? — Hafiz Hassan

JULY 25 — Perikatan Nasional (PN) deputy chairman Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin has raised concerns over the appointment of a serving civil servant as Auditor-General (AG). He makes reference to Articles 7 and 105(4) and (5) of the Federal Constitution. Article 7 is on 'Protection against retrospective criminal laws and repeated trials'. What has this got to do with the appointment of AG? Article 105(4) and (5) read as follows: '(4) Parliament shall by law provide for the remuneration of the Auditor General, and the remuneration so provided shall be charged on the Consolidated Fund.' '(5) The remuneration and other terms of office (including pension rights) of the Auditor General shall not be altered to his disadvantage after his appointment.' The above are said to imply that the AG must not be a serving member of the civil service, stressing the importance of independence in the role. While Hamzah (pic) may have conceded that the appointment of the AG 'may not be illegal', Kota Bharu MP Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan did question the legitimacy of Datuk Wan Suraya Wan Mohd Radzi's appointment as AG and whether it complied with the Federal Constitution. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa It is curious that Hamzah makes no reference refer to Article 105(1) which states as follows: 'There shall be an Auditor General, who shall be appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the advice of the Prime Minister and after consultation with the Conference of Rulers.' The Opposition Leader does not also refer to Article 139(1), which reads as follows: '(1) There shall be a Public Services Commission, whose jurisdiction shall, subject to Article 144, extend to all persons who are members of the services mentioned in paragraphs © and (f) of Clause (1) of Article 132, other than the Auditor General, to members of the public services of the State of Malacca and the State of Penang, and, to the extent provided by Clause (2), to members of the public service of any other State.' (Emphasis added) While Hamzah may have conceded that the appointment of the AG 'may not be illegal', Kota Bharu MP Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan did question the legitimacy of Datuk Wan Suraya Wan Mohd Radzi's appointment as AG and whether it complied with the Federal Constitution. Takiyuddin is not just a lawmaker but a lawyer by profession. He should know that there is a legal presumption called presumption of legality which is an established common law rule. It is the very general presumption that people have acted lawfully unless and until the contrary is proved. The presumption is the basis of the requirement that someone who alleges wrongdoing on the part of another must establish the truth of his allegation, according to the relevant standard of proof and in a court of competent jurisdiction. The presumption is said to be strong as the party who alleges having an onerous burden to overcome the presumption with compelling prima facie evidence of grounds to challenge the legality or lawfulness of an act. (See the Federal Court decision in Sundra Rajoo a/l Nadarajah v Menteri Luar Negeri, Malaysia & Ors [2021] 5 MLJ 209) Let's raise this question about the opposition raising questions over the appointment of Wan Suraya as AG: are they principles of good governance and independence or politics? **This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.

Asean News Headlines at 10pm on Thursday (June 26, 2025)
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