PKR MP raps 'false claims' Anwar wanted Terrirudin as chief justice
Published: Jul 18, 2025 2:39 PM
Updated: Jul 19, 2025 12:01 AM
A PKR MP has hit out at critics accusing Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of meddling in top judicial appointments, including claims he was pushing to make Federal Court judge Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh the next chief justice.
“Some even accused the prime minister of trying to place former attorney-general and current Federal Court judge Terrirudin as the new chief justice.
“Now that that claim has been revealed to be false, the detractors will undoubtedly try a different tactic,” said Sungai Petani MP Taufiq Johari.
He said the critics will also “conveniently ignore” that even before the appointments, the prime minister had promised a review of the Judicial Appointments Commission Act 2009 with a view to promoting transparency.
Singling out Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) co-founder Latheefa Koya, he said it was disheartening that a former PKR leader would brand the matter as the “mother of all judicial scandals”.
LFL co-founder Latheefa Koya
With a touch of sarcasm, Taufiq quipped that perhaps Latheefa had forgotten the 1988 judicial crisis when Lord President Salleh Abas was suspended and ultimately removed.
“Indeed, then premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad suspended five Supreme Court judges during that real ‘mother of all constitutional crises’.
“There was also the VK Lingam 2007 judicial crisis, where a secretly recorded video was released showing a lawyer allegedly brokering the appointment and promotion of judges in a phone conversation with a senior judge.
“And then the 2021 suspension of Court of Appeal judge Hamid Sultan Abu Backer after he had made allegations of judicial interference,” he noted.
End to speculation
Earlier today, Court of Appeal judge Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh was appointed as chief justice alongside Abu Bakar Jais as appeals court president and Azizah Nawawi as chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak.
Citing the announcement, Taufiq hoped it would put an end to the “politically motivated speculation and innuendos” that cast unwarranted aspersions on the integrity of the judicial appointments process.
With a touch of sarcasm, Taufiq quipped that perhaps Latheefa had forgotten the 1988 judicial crisis when Lord President Salleh Abas was suspended and ultimately removed.
“Indeed, then premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad suspended five Supreme Court judges during that real ‘mother of all constitutional crises’.
“There was also the VK Lingam 2007 judicial crisis, where a secretly recorded video was released showing a lawyer allegedly brokering the appointment and promotion of judges in a phone conversation with a senior judge.
“And then the 2021 suspension of Court of Appeal judge Hamid Sultan Abu Backer after he had made allegations of judicial interference,” he noted.
End to speculation
Earlier today, Court of Appeal judge Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh was appointed as chief justice alongside Abu Bakar Jais as appeals court president and Azizah Nawawi as chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak.
Citing the announcement, Taufiq hoped it would put an end to the “politically motivated speculation and innuendos” that cast unwarranted aspersions on the integrity of the judicial appointments process.
New Chief Justice Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh
“The best thing we can do now is let the newly appointed judges carry out their duties to the best of their abilities without questioning the legitimacy of their appointments. Let them be judged by the wisdom of their judgments,” he added.
Previously, Latheefa urged the government to urgently table a Constitutional Amendment Bill to strip the prime minister and the executive of all influence in the appointment of judges.
She was responding to the leak of purported Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) meeting minutes, describing the revelation as the “mother of all judicial scandals.”
“The best thing we can do now is let the newly appointed judges carry out their duties to the best of their abilities without questioning the legitimacy of their appointments. Let them be judged by the wisdom of their judgments,” he added.
Previously, Latheefa urged the government to urgently table a Constitutional Amendment Bill to strip the prime minister and the executive of all influence in the appointment of judges.
She was responding to the leak of purported Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) meeting minutes, describing the revelation as the “mother of all judicial scandals.”
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kt remarks:
I did mention I never like Latheefa - proves my character analysis has been correct, wakakaka
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