KUALA LUMPUR • The Malaysian Cabinet has agreed to form a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to look into allegations of judicial misconduct, said Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad yesterday, after a top judge sounded the alarm over claims of abuse and interference in the judiciary.
"We are setting up the RCI and it's up to them to look into the allegations made by the judge," he said.
However, Tun Dr Mahathir said the terms of reference for the RCI have yet to be decided: "We will set up the RCI and the terms will be determined later."
The setting up of the RCI comes after Court of Appeal judge Hamid Sultan Abu Backer alleged that senior judges had intervened in the decision of numerous trials.
He made the allegation in a 65-page affidavit that was filed on Feb 14 in support of an application by the late MP Karpal Singh's daughter, Ms Sangeet Singh Deo, to declare that the Chief Justice had failed to defend the integrity of the judiciary in court cases.
Datuk Hamid claimed the scams were carried out by nominees of politicians who had entered into contracts with the government.
Once the government pulled out of a deal, the private parties would take the government to court to claim compensation.
He alleged that these private parties created contracts with the government to defraud public funds, and the apex court was perceived to be sympathetic to them.
Soon after Dr Hamid's revelation, legal experts and politicians called for an RCI to probe the allegations.
On another matter, Dr Mahathir said he will take a wait-and-see approach following claims by Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) that there is an impending Pakatan Harapan (PH) coup against him. "I will wait and see if there is a vote of no-confidence. I will see if PAS will support me or not," he said in response to statements by the Islamist party pledging support for him in the event of a betrayal from within PH.
PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan has said a "sample" letter of support given to Dr Mahathir - which the PM has affirmed - during a meeting last Friday with the Islamist party's president Abdul Hadi Awang, was to indicate "backing" only in the event of "a vote of no-confidence".
Mr Takiyuddin said the alleged betrayal could come from "two component parties" within PH but declined to reveal which.
His comments drew a scathing response from PH's allies including Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) chief Anwar Ibrahim, who said such claims were lies.
For a vote of confidence to succeed in Parliament, it must have the support of at least 112 out of 222 MPs.
THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
