The Persecution of Francesca Albanese

Consortium News
Volume 30, Number 191 —Friday, July 11, 2025


Chris Hedges: The Persecution of Francesca Albanese


The Trump administration’s attack on the courageous U.N. special rapporteur presages a world without rules, where rogue states, such as the U.S. and Israel, carry out war crimes without restraint




Francesca Albanese in July 2024. (Esquerda.net/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 2.0)

By Chris Hedges
ScheerPost

When the history of the genocide in Gaza is written, one of the most courageous and outspoken champions for justice and the adherence to international law will be Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur, who today the Trump administration is sanctioning. Her office is tasked with monitoring and reporting on human rights violations that Israel commits against Palestinians.

Albanese, who regularly receives death threats and endures well-orchestrated smear campaigns directed by Israel and its allies, valiantly seeks to hold those who support and sustain the genocide accountable.

She lambasts what she calls “the moral and political corruption of the world” that allows the genocide to continue. Her office has issued detailed reports documenting war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank, one of which, called “Genocide as colonial erasure,” I have reprinted as an appendix in my latest book, A Genocide Foretold.

She has informed private organizations that they are “criminally liable” for assisting Israel in carrying out the genocide in Gaza.

She announced that if true, as has been reported, that the former British Prime Minister David Cameron threatened to defund and withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) after it issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, which Cameron and the other former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak could be charged with a criminal offense for, under the Rome Statute.

The Rome Statute criminalizes those who seek to prevent war crimes from being prosecuted.

She has called on top European Union (EU) officials to face charges of complicity of war crimes over their support for the genocide, saying that their actions cannot be met with impunity. She was a champion of the Madleen flotilla that sought to break the blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid, writing that the boat which was intercepted by Israel, was carrying not only supplies, but a message of humanity.

A woman in Catania, Sicily, waves the flag of Palestine on June 1 as the Gaza Freedom Flotilla’s Madleen departs. (Tan Safi /Freedom Flotilla )

You can see the interview I did with Albanese here.


Her latest report lists 48 corporations and institutions, including Palantir Technologies Inc., Lockheed Martin, Alphabet Inc. (Google), Amazon, International Business Machine Corporation (IBM), Caterpillar Inc., Microsoft Corporation and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), along with banks and financial firms such as BlackRock, insurers, real estate firms and charities, which in violation of international law, are making billions from the occupation and the genocide of Palestinians.

You can read my article on Albanese’s most recent report here.

Displaced Palestinians receive food during Ramadan in Deir el-Balah, Gaza Strip on March 1. (UNRWA / Ashraf Amra/Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY-SA 4.0)


U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned her support for the ICC, four of whose judges have been sanctioned by the U.S. for issuing arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant last year. He criticized Albanese for her efforts to prosecute American or Israeli nationals who sustain the genocide, saying she is unfit for service as a special rapporteur.

Rubio also accused Albanese of having “spewed unabashed antisemitism, expressed support for terrorism, and open contempt for the United States, Israel, and the West.” The sanctions will most likely prevent Albanese from travelling to the U.S. and will freeze any assets she may have in the country.

Rubio delivering remarks at the American Compass gala in Washington on June 3. (State Department/Freddie Everett)


The attack against Albanese presages a world without rules, one where rogue states, such as the U.S. and Israel, are permitted to carry out war crimes and genocide without any accountability or restraint.

It exposes the subterfuges we use to fool ourselves and attempt to fool others. It reveals our hypocrisy, cruelty and racism.

No one, from now on, will take seriously America’s stated commitments to democracy, freedom of expression, the rule of law or human rights. And who can blame them? Americans speak exclusively in the language of force, the language of brutes, the language of mass slaughter, the language of genocide.

“The acts of killing, the mass killing, the infliction of psychological and physical torture, the devastation, the creation of conditions of life that would not allow the people in Gaza to live, from the destruction of hospitals, the mass forced displacement and the mass homelessness, while people were being bombed daily, and the starvation — how can we read these acts in isolation?” Albanese asked in an interview I did with her when we discussed her report, “Genocide as colonial erasure.”

The militarized drones, helicopter gunships, walls and barriers, checkpoints, coils of concertina wire, watchtowers, detention centers, deportations, brutality and torture, denial of entry visas, apartheidesque existence that comes with being undocumented, loss of individual rights and electronic surveillance, are as familiar to desperate migrants along the Mexican border, or attempting to enter Europe, as they are to Palestinians.

This is what awaits those who Frantz Fanon calls “the wretched of the earth.”

Those that defend the oppressed, such as Albanese, will be treated like the oppressed.

Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist who was a foreign correspondent for 15 years for The New York Times, where he served as the Middle East bureau chief and Balkan bureau chief for the paper. He previously worked overseas for The Dallas Morning News, The Christian Science Monitor and NPR. He is the host of show “The Chris Hedges Report.”

This article is from Scheerpost.

Jakim probes claim of idolatry, immoral rituals in motivational event

FMT:

Jakim probes claim of idolatry, immoral rituals in motivational event


A Facebook user claims that activities included stripping, dancing, drinking a mysterious drink, and rituals described as 'sacred bath' and 'rebirth'

Jakim director-general Sirajuddin Suhaimee said the department is working to ensure all information from its investigation is thoroughly verified before taking legal action. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: The Islamic development department (Jakim) and Selangor religious authorities are investigating a motivational event allegedly involving idolatry (syirik) and immoral rituals.

Jakim director-general Sirajuddin Suhaimee said the department is taking public concerns seriously and is working to ensure all information gathered from the investigation is thoroughly verified before taking legal action.

“The Madani government, through Jakim and the state religious authorities, is firmly committed to addressing issues that impact the Muslim community, especially those affecting family values, moral conduct, and the preservation of Islamic principles,” he said in a statement.

The motivational event, aimed at a Malay audience, involved about 50 female participants and was held in Shah Alam on Sept 27-30 last year. It gained public attention after a Facebook user claimed that troubling events occurred on the final day.

According to the netizen, the session took a disturbing turn when a female speaker entered wearing a bikini, proceeded to strip naked and began dancing with members of her group.

They then allegedly encouraged participants to follow suit, removing their clothes after being given a mysterious drink. Participants were also reportedly instructed to take part in rituals described as a “sacred bath” and “rebirth”.

The user added that a formal complaint was lodged and evidence was also submitted to the authorities but no action seemed to have been taken.

Jakim has since urged the public, especially Muslims, not to be influenced by teachings or lifestyles that deviate from Islamic values or clash with local cultural norms.

It called on the public to cooperate with religious authorities by reporting suspicious or inappropriate activities to ensure such cases are addressed effectively.

***

kt remarks:

Wow, wish I was there. Maybe that event was meant for non-Muslims like me.

Putting higher value on George Town’s liveability

The Star:

Putting higher value on George Town’s liveability

By N. Trisha
Pinang Points
Tuesday, 08 Jul 2025



Tourists enjoying trishaw rides around George Town. The city has, however, a problem with bad out-of-towners. — Filepic


GEORGE Town is a place where I had always felt at ease, even at night.

As a woman, this is not something I say lightly.

I have worked in Penang’s heritage enclave for a decade now; and I have had my fair share of late-night walks to my car or quick suppers nearby.

Working late and walking through the heritage zone in the still hours had never unsettled me.


There is a familiarity to the quiet glow of shophouses, local faces and the sense that the city’s folk care for each other.

But something changed in my view of George Town three weeks ago.

I had dinner with a friend at a well-known spot along Love Lane. It was 9.45pm, not that late by George Town’s standards.

We were in our work clothes, enjoying a slow walk to our parked cars just 200m away.

Then a black sport utility vehicle with plates from a different state pulled up alongside us.

A group of young men sat inside, staring, while music blared through the open windows.

The car was also blocking our path across the narrow lane.

I made no eye contact. My friend, slightly older and composed, calmly asked them to move along.

“Boys, please go ahead. We are just walking,” she said, twice.

They didn’t budge, just grinned – something I noticed out of the corner of my eye.

Then, with a loud rev, they sped off and swerved a little too close to us for comfort.

We were unharmed, but bothered. I didn’t feel fear, but a sense of violation instead.

A feeling that something in the city I grew up in and trusted had changed.

When I recounted the incident to a male friend later that night, he was not surprised.

He said he had noticed more groups of visitors from out of state treating Penang like it was theirs to play with, and with little regard for those who actually live here.

There is a name for this kind of casual harassment: holiday-brained tourists.

Elsewhere, some call it “cruising” – groups of men in cars, enjoying their holiday, playing loud music and ogling women passing by.

What struck me even more was how, during a recent trip to Chennai, India, I walked the streets at night to buy food from roadside stalls and felt even safer than I did back home.

I continue meeting friends in my favourite spots in George Town.

But I always glance back now, listening for engines, walking faster than I used to.

Tourism is Penang’s lifeblood. We welcome visitors of all kinds – families, food lovers, history buffs and casual wanderers.

But with all its beauty, I hope local authorities plus the police will realise that we cannot afford to ignore the slow erosion of public safety, especially for women.

When visitors behave like the city owes them a good time, they tend to disturb the peace.

In this case, they destroy the trust that makes George Town liveable.

What we need now is awareness and better safety measures, such as improved lighting in back lanes and more visible patrols.

And perhaps a firm reminder to tourists that they are not just here to enjoy, they are also here to respect.

Tourists, Penang is not your playground. This is our home.

al Jazeera:

Israel kills more than 60 in Gaza as Houthis attack ships

By Lyndal Rowlands, Nils Adler, Usaid Siddiqui, Maziar Motamedi and Farah Najjar

Published On 7 Jul 20257 Jul 2025

• Israeli forces continue to pound Gaza – attacking aid seekers, medical facilities, and displacement shelters – with more than 60 Palestinians killed so far since dawn.

Here are the day’s major developments:

• The Israeli military killed more than 60 Palestinians and wounded dozens of others in strikes across the Gaza Strip, including in an attack on the Nuseirat refugee camp.
• Talks are ongoing in Qatar between Israel and Hamas to reach a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza as more aid seekers are shot dead and hospitals run out of fuel.
• The Houthis in Yemen damaged a second ship in as many days in the Red Sea, targeting a vessel with rocket-propelled grenades. Two crew members of the ship are missing.
• Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the government wants to create a “humanitarian city” on top of the ruins of Rafah in southern Gaza to concentrate starving Palestinians.
• At least one person was killed after the Israeli military targeted a vehicle travelling in southern Lebanon’s Tyre district. Another was killed on a motorcycle in the same district.
• Israeli forces launched raids across the occupied West Bank and announced the seizure of 74 hectares (183 acres) of land northeast of Ramallah as settlers again attacked Palestinians.

Shailok food trap as 'killing fields' to murder Gazan kids

UN: Nearly 800 deaths close to Gaza aid sites, majority near US-backed GHF locations



This picture taken from a position at Israel's border with the Gaza Strip shows smoke billowing during an Israeli strike on the besieged Palestinian territory July 10, 2025. — AFP pic

Friday, 11 Jul 2025 6:58 PM MYT


GENEVA, July 11 — The UN human rights office said today that it had recorded at least 798 killings both at aid points run by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and near humanitarian convoys run by other relief groups, including the UN.

The GHF uses private US security and logistics companies to get supplies into Gaza, largely bypassing a UN-led system that Israel says had let militants divert aid.

The United Nations has called the plan “inherently unsafe” and a violation of humanitarian impartiality rules.

“Up until the seventh of July, we’ve recorded now 798 killings, including 615 in the vicinity of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites, and 183 presumably on the route of aid convoys,” OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva.


The GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza at the end of May and has repeatedly denied that incidents had occurred at its sites. — Reuters

***

KT REMARKS:

Shailok food trap as 'killing fields' to murder Gazan kids.

Guan Eng urges freeze on electricity rates, SST hike amid looming US trade tariffs

Guan Eng urges freeze on electricity rates, SST hike amid looming US trade tariffs



DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng delivers his speech during the announcement of the Kuala Kubu Bharu by-election candidate at the DAP operations centre in Kuala Kubu Baru, Selangor, on April 24, 2024. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

Friday, 11 Jul 2025 10:55 AM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — DAP’s Lim Guan Eng today called for the government to freeze the 14.2 per cent electricity tariff hike for businesses and pause the RM10 billion in additional Sales and Services Tax (SST) collections that took effect on July 1.

The Bagan MP and former finance minister cited the need to help Malaysian businesses prepare for the 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs imposed by the United States, which are set to take effect on August 1.

Lim asserted that Bank Negara Malaysia’s decision to reduce the Overnight Policy Rate by 25 basis points from 3 per cent to 2.75 per cent was “clearly” aimed at addressing the tariffs, despite these not being explicitly mentioned.

“During such unfavourable ‘tariff war’ environments, few countries have imposed utility price hikes or increased taxes,” Lim stated, arguing that Malaysia’s approach runs counter to international best practices.


The MP also highlighted that BNM’s acknowledgment of downside risks to the growth outlook, particularly from slower global trade and weaker sentiment, supports the need for fiscal relief measures.



He noted that despite positive economic indicators including inflation dropping to 1.2 per cent in May 2025 and record labour force participation of 70.8 per cent, many businesses and households continue to struggle with cost of living pressures.

Lim then expressed hope that upcoming discussions with government leaders and MPs next week would result in a freeze on utility charges and SST increases.


Earlier this week, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Aziz said Malaysia would continue negotiations with the US for a fair and equitable solution, after President Donald Trump unexpectedly announced the new tariffs.

Umno urges house arrest for Najib after AGC confirms royal addendum

Umno urges house arrest for Najib after AGC confirms royal addendum



Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki speaks at a press conference at Menara Dato Onn, World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur, on January 26, 2024. — Picture by Bernama

Friday, 11 Jul 2025 10:28 AM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — Umno has called for former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to be granted house arrest following confirmation from the Attorney General’s Chambers of a royal addendum supporting such arrangement.

The AGC made the admission during its appeal against an application for judicial review from Najib this week.


“Umno humbly seeks forgiveness and mercy from His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and appeals for the house arrest decree to be enforced in accordance with the absolute powers of the King as provided under Article 42(1) of the Federal Constitution.” Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said in a statement today.

The article gives the King the constitutional power to pardon or reduce sentences for offences under federal jurisdiction and in court-martial cases.


Asyraf said Umno hoped that Najib would finally be granted this, based on the decree issued over a year ago.


On February 2, 2024, the Federal Territories Pardons Board halved Najib’s sentence to six years for misappropriating RM42 million from SRC International, meaning he could be released as early as August 23, 2028.

It later emerged that the previous Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah who had chaired the Pardons Board then, had also issued the royal addendum for Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.


The government did not outright deny the order was made, but its existence was not confirmed until earlier this week.

Najib has been imprisoned since August 23, 2022, after the Federal Court upheld his conviction for criminal breach of trust, abuse of power, and money laundering involving funds from SRC International Sdn Bhd.

He also has other criminal trials related to the 1MDB corruption scandal ongoing.

Dr M secretariat urges Anwar to quit over judiciary crisis, mulls legal action

Dr M secretariat urges Anwar to quit over judiciary crisis, mulls legal action

Qistina Nadia Dzulqarnain
Published: Jul 11, 2025 12:30 PM
Updated: 3:47 PM



Calls for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to resign from his position over concerns about the integrity of the country’s judiciary have intensified, with the Defend the Judiciary Secretariat threatening to take the matter to court.

Lawyer Rafique Rashid Ali said that during the secretariat’s meeting earlier today, the group led by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad decided to rescind its earlier resolution calling for Anwar to take a leave of absence.

Instead, he said the secretariat is now pushing for the prime minister to relinquish his post immediately on the grounds that the premier has a conflict of interest in judiciary appointments, as he is a party in several civil lawsuits.

“We have considered other measures suggested by several quarters, including Rafizi Ramli’s proposal for the formation of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) and for a Parliamentary Special Select Committee to probe certain allegations.

“However, both suggestions remain under the control and oversight of the prime minister. The prime minister is the problem and therefore, the prime minister must go,” Rafique told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

The Pejuang information chief added that the secretariat also discussed taking their grievances to the courts, with the potential legal action understood to be aimed at questioning whether a prime minister embroiled in civil disputes can advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the appointment of judges.

Lawyer Rafique Rashid Ali (right)

Meanwhile, Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) president P Waythamoorthy said that while the Federal Constitution provides the prime minister with the exclusive right to advise the Agong on judiciary appointments, the courts should determine whether Anwar is able to exercise such a right.

He highlighted that a civil lawsuit initiated by Anwar’s former aide Yusoff Rawther poses serious concerns.

“(The case) shows that the prime minister is not qualified to (advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong) on the appointment of any judges (potentially set to) make decisions in his own case,” he added.

Yesterday, opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin called for Anwar to go on leave, framing the call as being consistent with the palace’s decree that judicial appointments must be handled with care and integrity.

The Bersatu deputy president’s statement came after a warning from Istana Negara against politicising judiciary appointment matters.

The palace’s input on the issue came amid the call for the RCI, initiated by several PKR lawmakers led by Rafizi, and picked up by the Malaysian Bar, which is organising a march next Monday to push for the commission to be formed.

Separately, Perikatan Nasional is organising a series of rallies urging Anwar to resign over various matters, including the rising cost of living due to the sales and service tax expansion.

‘I want to die serving’: Hadi Awang to defend PAS top post in Sept polls, amid worry over health

‘I want to die serving’: Hadi Awang to defend PAS top post in Sept polls, amid worry over health



Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, who is also the Member of Parliament for Marang, said he has no intention of relinquishing the presidency, a post he has held for more than 20 years. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

Friday, 11 Jul 2025 12:46 PM MYT


MARANG, July 11 — Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang has confirmed that he will defend his position as PAS president at the party’s 71st Muktamar in Kedah this September.

Abdul Hadi, who is also the Member of Parliament for Marang, said he has no intention of relinquishing the presidency, a post he has held for more than 20 years.


Having undergone treatment at the National Heart Institute in mid-June, he said he intends to continue serving the party for the rest of his life as his health remains good.

“If possible, I want to die while still serving. I’m healthy ... Alhamdulillah, still healthy,” said the 77-year-old leader when met by reporters after delivering a Dhuha lecture at Masjid Rusila today.


Commenting on the position of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman, Abdul Hadi said the matter would be discussed with the coalition’s component parties, as the chairman’s post is not determined by PAS alone.


Previously, there had been speculation of calls for PN to appoint a new chairman, but the claim was denied by Muhyiddin himself. — Bernama

Only 8.4pct of religious schools in Perak have planning permission: MB

Only 8.4pct of religious schools in Perak have planning permission: MB

Published: Jul 11, 2025 6:30 AM
Updated: 8:30 AM


Only 85 out of 1,006 religious education institutions in Perak or 8.4 percent, have obtained planning permission from local authorities.

Perak Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad said the religious institutions include Tadika Islam Perak, Sekolah Rendah Agama Rakyat, Sekolah Menengah Agama Rakyat, private religious schools, tahfiz centres, and Akademi Insan Muda Ar-Ridzuan (Aiman).

“As such, I hope the responsible parties, stakeholders, especially institution administrators and technical agencies, can sit together to coordinate a comprehensive solution to avoid any untoward incidents in the future,” he said.

He said this during the opening of the Seminar on Sustainable Integrity in Religious Education Institution Development held in Ipoh today.

Later, in a press conference, Saarani said the state government has never restricted the growth of religious education institutions, but warned that developments carried out without proper procedures could pose serious risks to students and residents of the institutions.

He said reports received indicated that most institutions were built without formal plans or planning approval to reduce costs and without consulting the Fire and Rescue Department or other technical agencies.

“They start by putting up four posts, then add structures as more students enrol. In the end, safety is compromised.

“Some do their own wiring without certified electricians, even tapping from light conductors. This is extremely dangerous,” he also said.

At the same time, Saarani added that the state government will continue to enhance policies on the development of educational institutions through the Perak Sejahtera 2030 Plan, which prioritises the strengthening of social institutions under its social well-being pillar.

- Bernama

Latheefa presses PM after Nazri blames Malta speech for ex-CJ's exit

Latheefa presses PM after Nazri blames Malta speech for ex-CJ's exit


Published: Jul 11, 2025 7:05 AM
Updated: 9:19 AM


Summary

• LFL co-founder says former law minister Nazri Abdul Aziz’s claim that Tengku Maimun’s tenure was not extended for criticising the PM is “stunning and disturbing”.

• Zaid Ibrahim criticises Nazri for “missing the point” and “defending the indefensible”.

• Nazri claims that Tengku Maimun’s remarks in a Malta law conference were inappropriate, especially when Anwar was travelling the world to attract foreign investment.

Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) co-founder Latheefa Koya has urged Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to respond to an explosive claim that former chief justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat was denied an extension due to a speech she delivered in Malta.

Tengku Maimun had in her speech advocated for the removal of the prime minister’s role in judicial appointments.

“In short, it suggests that Tengku Maimun’s tenure was not extended despite her spectacular record because she had allegedly criticised the prime minister for interfering with the judiciary. If true, this becomes a very serious matter,” she told Malaysiakini.

Latheefa was reacting to former law minister Nazri Abdul Aziz’s assertion that the former chief justice did not receive an extension because she implied the prime minister had meddled in judicial appointments.

Former law minister Nazri Abdul Aziz

Citing her speech in Malta, Nazri told The Scoop that Tengku Maimun should have voiced her concerns privately.

Latheefa described Nazri’s remarks as a “stunning and disturbing admission” and stressed that it must be taken seriously, especially as it comes from a close Anwar ally and a prominent Umno figure.

She firmly rejected the notion that such reasoning could justify not extending Tengku Maimun’s service as the nation’s top judge.

“The interest of the public and judicial system should have been the priority, and not whether anyone was unhappy about her remarks on interference with the judiciary made in Malta or anywhere else.

“Let’s not forget that as head of the judiciary, it was Tengku Maimun’s duty to defend judicial independence. How can that be made the reason not to extend? If that is the reason, then it is a betrayal of the public interest.

“Now that the cat is out of the bag, Anwar cannot remain silent,” emphasised the former MACC chief commissioner.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim


Latheefa called on the prime minister to break his silence and explain to the Malaysian public why the tenure of a respected and high-performing chief justice was not renewed, leaving, in her words, a “vacuum at the top of the judiciary”.

“There was no need for an acting chief justice at all. We could have had the actual chief justice for another six months, giving time for top judicial appointments to be properly and correctly done,” she added.


‘Defending the indefensible’

In a post on X late yesterday evening, former law minister Zaid Ibrahim criticised Nazri for “missing the point” and “defending the indefensible”.

“Though not a cabinet minister, he seems unusually eager to explain why the former chief justice’s tenure was not extended despite no one asking for such an extension in the first place.

“Let’s set the record straight. Tengku Maimun never requested to stay on. The concerns raised by the legal community and many Malaysians were not about her asking to remain in office, but about the bizarre and troubling vacuum in judicial leadership that has since followed,” he added.

Zaid claimed that what has truly shocked the nation is the prime minister’s failure to act on the impending expiry of top judicial appointments.

Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim


“One after another, key judges are retiring with no permanent successors in place. Today, we have an acting chief justice who, in turn, must appoint an acting president of the Court of Appeal.

“This is unprecedented and dangerous. It erodes judicial authority and public confidence.

“The central question remains: Did Tengku Maimun and the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) submit the names for replacement in accordance with the law? And if they did, why did the prime minister refuse to act?” he asked.

Zaid accused Nazri and others of trying to deflect attention by blaming Tengku Maimun’s remarks in Malta, rather than addressing this core issue.

“But let’s be honest - what choice did she have? She was being forced to vacate her post without a proper successor, and the world needed to know that the rule of law in Malaysia is under strain.

“This is not a question of personalities or speeches. It is a matter of legal and constitutional duty. The prime minister’s refusal to act on JAC’s recommendation, if true, is a clear transgression of the law and a blow to judicial independence.

“Nazri’s spin won’t save Anwar. The facts speak for themselves,” he added.


‘Inappropriate’ remarks

At the 24th Commonwealth Law Conference held in Malta this April, Tengku Maimun remarked that removing the prime minister’s involvement in judicial appointments could help dispel perceptions of political interference in the judiciary.

She disclosed that there have recently been proposals to amend both the Judicial Appointments Commission Act 2009 and the Federal Constitution to eliminate the prime minister’s role in the process.

Former chief justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat


“Such changes, in my view, would reinforce the impartiality of the selection process, ensuring that judicial appointments remain firmly grounded on merit and free from any perception of political influence,” she said.

In response, Nazri criticised her remarks, calling them inappropriate, particularly at a time when Anwar was actively travelling to attract foreign investment.

The former minister also rejected the notion that Tengku Maimun was speaking in general terms and not specifically about Anwar.

“You are the sitting chief justice. Anwar is the sitting prime minister. So you must be referring to him,” he contended.

He pointed out that Tengku Maimun had previously spoken about the importance of harmonious relations among the three branches of government: the judiciary, the executive, and the legislature.

Nazri said maintaining a constructive and well-balanced relationship between the judiciary and the other arms of government is vital to upholding judicial independence, while also honouring Parliament’s democratic mandate.

He further noted that Tengku Maimun herself had affirmed that there is no contest for supremacy among the branches and that, in Malaysia, the Constitution reigns supreme.

“She should take a leaf from her own speech,” he added.

***

kt comments:

There is this seeming bizarre and incessant obsession about extending the service contract of then then-CJ Tengku Maimum - as the Melayu would put it "Mati-Mati pun mesti sambung kontrack CJ".

Why, if not to cari pasal and kacau-ganggu DSAI!!!

Trump INSULTS Malaysia with his pick of envoy for our nation

Trump picks outspoken ‘alpha male’, Hooters aficionado Nick Adams as next US ambassador to Malaysia



Nick Adams is an outspoken fan of Hooters, the US restaurant chain that has long drawn criticism for building its brand around the sexualisation of its female waitstaff. — Picture from Facebook/Nick Adams

Friday, 11 Jul 2025 9:09 AM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — President Donald Trump has nominated Nick Adams, an Australian-American commentator and self-described “alpha male,” to serve as the next US ambassador to Malaysia.

Adams, who became an American citizen in 2021, rose to prominence in 2016 when Trump praised his book “Green Card Warrior” as a “must read” on social media, Politico reported.


The nomination was formally sent to the Senate on Wednesday for confirmation proceedings.

Adams has authored six books, including works that criticise Joe Biden and praise Trump and Winston Churchill as defenders of Western civilisation.


He is also an outspoken fan of Hooters, the US restaurant chain that has long drawn criticism for building its brand around the sexualisation of its female waitstaff, having tweeted about it over 500 times in a span of four years.


Trump wrote the foreword for Adams’ 2024 book “Alpha Kings,” which advises young men on becoming “true alpha males.”

The nominee previously served in Australian local government but was condemned by colleagues and threatened with suspension from the Liberal Party for conduct deemed damaging to the party’s reputation.


Adams currently serves on the board of the congressionally chartered Woodrow Wilson Center, a position he received through a 2020 Trump nomination.

Trump praised Adams as “an incredible Patriot and very successful entrepreneur” whose devotion to America serves as an inspiration.

Adams expressed his honor at the opportunity to “take the president’s goodwill and spread it to the great people of Malaysia.”

If confirmed, Adams would replace Edgard Kagan, a career diplomat who was nominated by Biden in May 2023.

Nick Adams

@NickAdamsinUSA

·

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Crooked Joe Biden's legacy is one of disaster, criminality and corruption. It has sadly claimed yet another victim. As I was eating my fifth breakfast steak this morning while reading Bloomberg, I read a report that Hooters is preparing to file for bankruptcy. Bidenflation, Show more

Last edited2:48 AM · Feb 22, 2025

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