KUALA LUMPUR — Former economy minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli has urged the government to immediately establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate what he described as a crisis involving Malaysia’s judiciary, warning that continued inaction could further damage public confidence in the justice system and the government.
“What began as a matter of vacancies in key judicial positions has now become a constitutional crisis as more credible but unverified information surfaces,” Rafizi said at a press conference held at the service centre of Subang MP Wong Chen.
He was joined by fellow PKR lawmakers, including Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Wong Chen, and four other party backbenchers.
Rafizi said the allegations now in the public domain were deeply serious, citing claims that the Judicial Appointments Commission’s (JAC) nominations for the country’s most senior judicial posts, including Chief Justice and Court of Appeal President, were submitted but not acted upon promptly.
He also referred to revelations that a Federal Court judge had been summoned to provide an explanation regarding purported attempts to influence case decisions, with a police report subsequently lodged by a judicial officer.
“These revelations, if left unaddressed, will continue to fuel speculation that damages the credibility of the government and the independence of the courts,” Rafizi said, describing the situation as a potential constitutional crisis reminiscent of the VK Lingam scandal that rocked the judiciary in 2007.
He argued that the government must treat the matter as the country’s most pressing issue, warning that public trust in the justice system was now hanging by a thread.
“If we fail to act transparently, the perception that judges are being pressured or appointments are manipulated will spread further,” he said.
Rafizi urged Parliament’s Special Select Committee on Human Rights, Elections and Institutional Reform to convene proceedings without delay and summon the Prime Minister to provide an explanation.
“Parliament must play a central role in protecting judicial independence,” he stressed.
He also said all pending judicial appointments should proceed on the basis of the JAC’s earlier recommendations, warning that any attempt to table fresh nominations now would worsen perceptions of interference.
Rafizi announced that PKR MPs would launch a nationwide online petition to rally public support and hold a series of public forums to raise awareness, starting with a session in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor on July 13.
“This is about defending the separation of powers and the rule of law,” he said.
“We owe it to the public to ensure our courts are not tainted by any perception of interference.”
He concluded by calling for a bipartisan approach to the crisis, stating that restoring confidence in the judiciary was in the national interest. – July 7, 2025