Come clean to public on judicial appointments, DAP Youth tells govt

Come clean to public on judicial appointments, DAP Youth tells govt

Published: Jul 8, 2025 8:00 PM
Updated: 10:05 PM



Summary

• DAP Youth urges the government to address controversies surrounding Malaysia’s judicial appointments transparently, warning that the lack of clarity is eroding public trust.

• The concerns centre on whether candidates recommended by the JAC for the chief justice and Court of Appeal president roles were accepted.

DAP Youth today urged the government to come clean on the controversies surrounding Malaysia’s judicial appointments, warning that this is already causing an erosion of trust in the government.

In a statement today, DAP Youth’s National Executive Council said that the country has already faced immense setbacks in rebuilding judicial independence, and that the hard-won progress should not be jeopardised by the lack of transparency.

“To prevent further erosion of trust, the government should respond to the questions surrounding the judicial appointments based on principles of transparency and accountability.

“The judicial appointments controversy has sparked widespread concern among the legal fraternity and civil society. A quote from the 2007 ‘Walk for Justice’ remains just as relevant today: ‘When lawyers walk, something must be very wrong’,” the statement read.

The Malaysian Bar announced that it will stage a walk on July 14 from the Palace of Justice to the Prime Minister’s Office, to submit a memorandum calling for action on judicial independence.

It contains four demands: filling top judicial vacancies, releasing minutes of a recent Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) meeting, forming a Royal Commission of Inquiry, and addressing overall judicial vacancies.

The Bar’s move comes amid growing concerns over alleged interference in judicial appointments and unresolved vacancies following the recent retirement of senior judges.

Were candidates accepted?

DAP Youth said that the core issue is whether candidates for the chief justice and Court of Appeal president roles, recommended by the JAC, were accepted.

The general principle for the appointment of judges as per Article 122B of the Federal Constitution is that judges to superior courts - meaning the High, Appeals, and Federal Courts - are made by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, on the advice of the prime minister.

The Constitution also provides that for the appointments of the Court of Appeal president, chief judge of Malaya, chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak, and Federal Court judges, input from the chief justice is required.

Likewise, the Court of Appeal president’s input is required for appointments of appellate court judges.

“While the judicial appointment process is extensive and multi-layered, the lack of clarity surrounding both the tenure extensions of former top judges and the appointment of new ones has understandably led to growing public doubt.

“Without a timely, transparent, and responsible explanation from the government, this unease will only deepen.

“As such, DAP Youth calls upon the government to clarify the matter to the public through proper institutional mechanisms and to take meaningful steps to restore transparency and public trust in our democratic institutions,” the statement read further.