PUCHONG, July 7 — Pandan MP Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli and eight other PKR MPs today called for a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate allegations of attempted interference in the judiciary and controversies surrounding judicial appointments.
The MPs said the inquiry was crucial to address the allegations and prevent a repeat of the damage inflicted on public trust from the 2007 VK Lingam tape scandal and the 1988 constitutional crisis.
Rafizi said an RCI is the best way to quell public speculation that was arising reasonably from circumstances such as the vacancies and successions within the judiciary.
“We can’t stop the public from speculating. Speculation is not good; that’s why the best way to do this is to have an RCI. Let the learned members of the RCI go through this; they will be able to ascertain what has transpired and present it to the public,” he said at a press conference at the Subang parliamentary service centre here.
“If that is done, it will affirm the government’s commitment to defend judicial independence, and it will nip the problem and speculation in the bud.”
Rafizi said failing to quash the rumours and allegation would cause severe and long-lasting harm to the judiciary’s independence and integrity, with Malaysians ultimately paying the price.
Rafizi emphasised, however, that the call for an RCI was not an act against the current administration, adding that all nine PKR MPs continue to support the federal government and the ruling coalition.
“We are concerned, this is our government, this is our party. We spent a lifetime campaigning for this party and this coalition, we want to see it succeed. So that’s why for us, the better way to deal with this is to have an RCI and to nip this problem in the bud,” Rafizi said.
Apart from calling for an RCI, Rafizi said the PKR MPs will also take the following measures:
- Officially applying for the bipartisan Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) on Human Rights, Election and Institutional Reform to hold proceedings to look into the allegations affecting the judiciary, including by calling in the prime minister to provide an explanation. MPs to write officially to committee chairman William Leong and each committee member
- Calling for key vacancies in the judiciary to be filled based on the recommendations already made by the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) to the prime minister before Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat’s retirement as Chief Justice; or for new recommendations to be made only after the RCI and PSSC had resolved the allegations.
- Campaign to get bipartisan support from MPs from various political parties to demand for an RCI; PSSC proceedings; and for vacancies to be filled on new recommendations after RCI and PSSC or existing JAC recommendations.
- To hold nationwide public forums to spread awareness and get public support, with the first to be held in Kuala Lumpur or Selangor at 8.30pm on July 13 before holding it in other major cities.
- To launch an online petition for the public to demand for the judiciary’s independence to be defended.
Subang MP Wong Chen, one of the PKR MPs present at the press conference and formerly a practising lawyer, recalled being a law student at the time when Malaysia’s courts was in 1988 rocked by the constitutional crisis — when Tun Mohamed Salleh Abas was removed as Lord President of the Supreme Court or the equivalent of the Chief Justice position.
“I remembered until maybe the late 2010, from that incident onwards, for about 30 years, the Malaysian judiciary was seen as compliant to the government,” he said when describing the long-lasting impact of the 1988 constitutional crisis and expressing worries that the crisis could be repeated.
Wong said Malaysia is now at a critical juncture, and that failure to do the right thing now could risk resulting in the credibility of any government of the day and the economy being hurt in the future.
Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the PKR backbencher MPs had decided to speak up on the judiciary as it is an issue of national interest, adding that this has been something that PKR has been championing on in the past.
“Before that, we had the crisis of the sacking of Tun Salleh Abas, the reformation era issue, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s trials, VK Lingam were also championed by PKR. If we don’t raise this issue, I feel we are not fulfilling our duties as MPs,” he said at the press conference.
The VK Lingam tape scandal in 2007 had exposed a video clip of a December 2001 phone conversation between a senior lawyer and a top judge on the alleged brokering of judges’ appointments and promotions.
The 2007 tape scandal later resulted in a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) being held, and the RCI recommended the setting up of a JAC which was later set up during then prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s tenure.
Other PKR MPs present at the press conference today were Ampang MP Rodziah Ismail, Wangsa Maju MP Zahir Hassan, Balik Pulau MP Datuk Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik, and Ledang MP Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh.
Two other federal lawmakers, Sungai Siput MP S. Kesavan and Batu Pahat MP Onn Abu Bakar, also signed on to the joint statement listing the six items that the MPs would do. The six items include calling for an RCI.
Rafizi and Nik Nazmi both resigned from the Cabinet in recent weeks, following their defeats in the PKR party elections.
