More than 300 members of the Malaysian Bar gathered outside the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya for a symbolic rally aimed at defending judicial independence.
Dressed in black suits and white shirts, the lawyers held placards and chanted slogans before beginning their march to the Prime Minister’s Office at 2:30pm to submit a memorandum.
Among those present were prominent figures such as former Bar presidents Ambiga Sreenevasan and Karen Cheah, PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan, former attorney-general Tommy Thomas, and former Senate president Rais Yatim.
The rally was prompted by concerns over alleged political interference in judicial appointments, with the Bar Council calling for the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI), warning that such actions threaten the rule of law and the doctrine of separation of powers.
The memorandum outlines four key demands: Top judicial roles must be filled by judges of integrity with a record of delivering quality, reasoned judgments, all 31 judicial vacancies must be filled promptly to avoid delays in court proceedings, judicial appointment processes must remain free from external influence and transparency and independence of the judiciary must be upheld.
According to the Judicial Appointments Commission, 31 posts remain vacant, including the positions vacated by former Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat and former Court of Appeal president Abang Iskandar, both of whom retired earlier this month.
Vacancies include two positions at the Federal Court, three at the Court of Appeal, and 24 at the High Court.
