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Dear ST reader,
Who will be Malaysia’s next Chief Justice and President of the Court of Appeal? The Conference of Rulers is convening this week to decide on whether to affirm Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s recommendations for the top two positions in the judiciary. An announcement is expected later today.
This comes after weeks of growing uncertainty and claims of executive interference in the courts. Some of the allegations stem from within Datuk Seri Anwar’s own party. The public unease culminated in a march to the Prime Minister’s Office on July 14, led by the Malaysian Bar in a bid to defend judicial independence.
Among those that have aired concerns over the judiciary is Malaysia’s longest-serving premier Mahathir Mohamad, who celebrated his 100th birthday last week. Ironically, in his long reign from 1981 to 2003, he too was accused of interference when the then Lord President Tun Salleh Abas – whose title was equivalent to chief justice – was removed from his post. It resulted in a constitutional crisis in 1988.
Tun Dr Mahathir did not join the lawyers’ march on July 14, and just as well, as he was hospitalised for fatigue after cycling for over eight kilometres during a birthday picnic on Sunday.
Follow ST’s coverage as we continue to bring you the latest developments.
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