Judiciary under attack: Harapan backs CJ, reminds govt of MOU

 

Pakatan Harapan has reminded the federal government of its obligation to ensure the independence of the judiciary as stipulated in the confidence-and-supply agreement.

In a statement today, the coalition's top leadership said the government must therefore ensure that none of the enforcement agencies violates the Federal Constitution and that they respect the independence of the judiciary.

"An independent judiciary forms the base of rule of law and a democratic system that can be accepted and trusted by the rakyat," said the Harapan presidential council.

Under Clause 4.1 of the addendum to the agreement - otherwise known as the Memorandum of Understanding on Transformation and Political Stability - the federal government was obliged to ensure the independence of the judiciary.

This deal was signed in September last year - a month after Ismail Sabri Yaakob took reigns - with the express goal of ensuring political stability.

Unfounded and scurrilous

Harapan's reminder followed Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat (top photo) speech yesterday in which she said that the judiciary or a particular judge was currently facing unfounded and scurrilous attacks.

She said although judges are not immune to criticism, recent accusations against judges and the judiciary, in her view, went overboard.

Tengku Maimun said this in her speech yesterday during the swearing-in ceremony for 17 judicial commissioners.

Her comments came at a time when both the MACC and the police are conducting investigations involving Court of Appeal judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.

In 2020, Nazlan had sentenced former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak to 12 years in jail and fined him RM210 million on money laundering charges, criminal breach of trust and abuse of power.

This was in relation to Najib's role in state-owned SRC International Sdn Bhd. Some RM42 million from that company eventually flowed into Najib's personal bank accounts.

The Harapan presidential council said they fully supported the chief justice’s views that recent criticisms against the judiciary had gone overboard. - Mkini