KUALA LUMPUR: — Malaysia finds itself at the crossroads of a constitutional storm as serious allegations surface against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim regarding his role in the unprecedented appointment of Justice Wan Ahmad as the new Chief Justice of Malaysia..
In a sharply worded statement released by Waytha Moorthy Ponnusamy, President of Parti Kemajuan Malaysia (MAP) and founder of HINDRAF, grave concerns have been raised over the legality, propriety, and ethical standing of the recent judicial appointment process.. “While the Prime Minister may have complied with the letter of the Federal Constitution, he has clearly violated its spirit,” said Waytha. “No Prime Minister under active judicial scrutiny should hold sway over the very institution that might rule on his cases.”..
According to Waytha, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim did not disclose his ongoing legal entanglements – including the unresolved Yusoff Rawther sexual misconduct case — to the Conference of Rulers.
The omission, critics say, is significant as any such disclosure would likely disqualify him from participating in judicial appointments. Equally alarming is the revelation of an attempt to fast-track Justice Terriyuddin to the position of Chief Justice – a move reportedly abandoned only after intense public backlash. Critics say this maneuver, too, smacks of executive overreach and manipulation.. The leaked minutes from the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC), paired with a related police report, suggest a troubling pattern of executive interference in a process meant to be fiercely independent.
Notably, the elevation of Justice Wan Ahmad — who leapfrogged over 10 sitting Federal Court judges and 22 more senior jurists — has no precedent in any modern Commonwealth judiciary.. “Such a promotion, executed under a veil of opacity, raises serious doubts over whether political loyalty has been prioritized over judicial merit,” said Waytha. MAP’s statement calls on the Prime Minister to publicly disclose all discussions and actions taken during the appointment process – including what was shared, what was hidden, and what pressures may have influenced the outcome… “This is not just about one appointment,” Waytha emphasized. “It is about preserving the last bastion of democracy — the independence of our judiciary.”.. With the nation’s judicial credibility at stake, legal observers warn that unless these questions are transparently addressed, Malaysia may slide further into a constitutional crisis with long-lasting consequences for public trust in the rule of law.