KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 — The Malaysian Bar has come to the defence of Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, following recent criticisms from former minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz over her remarks on judicial reforms.
In a statement today, Bar president Mohamad Ezri Abdul Wahab said the criticisms had misrepresented and sensationalised the Chief Justice’s comments, which were made during her keynote address at the 24th Commonwealth Law Conference in Malta on April 8.
Nazri had accused Tun Tengku Maimun of insinuating political interference in the judiciary and claimed her support for removing the Prime Minister’s role in judicial appointments was a veiled attack on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“Of late, there have been proposals to amend the Judicial Appointments Commission Act 2009 and the Federal Constitution to remove the role of the Prime Minister in the appointment of judges. Such changes, in my view, would reinforce the impartiality of the selection process,” she said in her speech.
The Bar rejected the claim that her comments were political in nature, stating that they were instead a reasoned and objective call for institutional reform.
It said the comments were rooted in the principle of separation of powers, which requires judicial appointments to be free from political interference.
The Bar emphasised that no system is perfect, but efforts must be made to protect judicial independence.
It added that public discourse on such matters should be encouraged, as informed debate is essential to institutional accountability and reform.
“The credibility of the courts depends not only on the quality of its judges, but on the integrity of the process by which they are appointed,” said Mohamad Ezri.
He reiterated the Bar’s commitment to defending judicial independence, which he said must be a practical reality, not just a constitutional principle.
