KUALA LUMPUR – The appointment of Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh as chief justice may have temporarily eased public concerns, but the judicial appointment controversy is far from over and must not be treated as resolved, a group of PKR MPs said today.
In a joint statement, nine MPs from the party, which is part of the unity government, reminded Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that the episode revealed institutional shortcomings that remain unaddressed, particularly in ensuring that the judiciary is insulated from political influence and guided solely by merit.
It was signed by former ministers Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli (Pandan) and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (Setiawangsa), as well as other party backbenchers – Wong Chen (Subang), Rodziah Ismail (Ampang), Zahir Hassan (Wangsa Maju), Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik (Balik Pulau), Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (Ledang), S. Kesavan (Sungai Siput), and Onn Abu Bakar (Batu Pahat).
Wong Chen, who posted the statement on his Facebook page, referred to the group as the “so-called nine samurais” and reiterated that while the Prime Minister’s willingness to reconsider the issue following leaked minutes involving Tan Sri Terrirudin was welcome, “the work to reform the judicial appointment process must continue.”
“We hope the administration of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim does not consider this matter fully settled, as long as reforms to the judicial appointment process have yet to be tabled to the public and implemented,” the MPs said.
While welcoming the appointment of Wan Ahmad Farid, along with Datuk Abu Bakar Jais as president of the Court of Appeal and Datuk Azizah Nawawi as Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak, they noted that the process leading to the appointments had drawn scrutiny and disquiet from the public and legal community.
Wan Ahmad Farid’s past involvement in politics and his juniority relative to some sitting judges, they said, had raised concerns that must be taken seriously by his office.
“We hope that as the new chief justice, Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid receives these views openly. They should serve as guidance and motivation to prove that his leadership will defend judicial independence even more strongly, surpassing the excellent track record of Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat,” the statement read.
The MPs said they expect the judiciary under Wan Ahmad Farid’s leadership to continue strengthening its independence by resolving several key matters.
First, the immediate priority should be filling the 31 judicial vacancies to avoid administrative delays and a backlog of cases. They stressed that these appointments must be made strictly on merit and seniority, in line with the Federal Constitution and the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) Act.
They further demanded that all judicial appointments be carried out according to due process, without deviation or external interference, and that any form of political manoeuvring or influence must be rejected. Any attempts to manipulate appointments or override the JAC’s authority would undermine public trust and violate constitutional principles, they said.
Additionally, the nine MPs urged the judiciary to address unresolved issues raised in previous JAC meetings, including allegations that attempts were made to influence the outcome of a Federal Court ruling involving a sitting judge. They called for these claims to be properly investigated and for any necessary follow-up action to be taken.
The group also laid out a set of long-term reform proposals to ensure future appointments are more transparent and accountable. Among their demands is for the prime minister’s discretionary power to reject JAC-nominated candidates to be limited.
If a nomination is rejected, they said, the prime minister must be required to provide a formal explanation either to the JAC or to Parliament.
They also proposed that representatives from the legal profession in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak be automatically included in the JAC. This would reduce the prime minister’s current ability to appoint a majority of the commission’s members and restore a more balanced composition.
Finally, the MPs suggested involving Parliament in confirming judicial appointments before they are sent to the prime minister. This could be done either through confirmation hearings or a formal vote – mechanisms used in other democracies to ensure transparency and public accountability.
“These are reasonable views that should be taken into account,” the statement said. “We will continue to give attention to these matters to ensure that there is a backbench voice that keeps the reform process going,” the group concluded.
Wan Ahmad Farid, 62, was officially confirmed as chief justice around midnight last night .
The Chief Registrar of the Courts said the appointment was made under Clause (1) of Article 122B of the Federal Constitution. Wan Ahmad Farid previously served as a judge of the Court of Appeal.
The judiciary also announced that Abu Bakar Jais would replace Tan Sri Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim as Court of Appeal president, while Azizah Nawawi will succeed Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Sebli as Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak. Their swearing-in is scheduled for July 28 at Istana Negara. – July 18, 2025