Malaysia’s judicial crisis deepened over the weekend after a leaked memo revealed serious allegations against Federal Court Judge Terrirudin Salleh, ahead of a lawyers’ march to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s office on Monday to protest against alleged executive interference in the judiciary.
Advertisement
Anwar has come under mounting pressure over the scandal, with lawmakers from his own party breaking ranks to demand that he “clear the air”, warning that judicial integrity is now “the biggest issue” facing the country.
The document, which comprises minutes from a classified Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) meeting in May, was uploaded to social media on Saturday. It seemingly substantiates earlier claims of misconduct against Terrirudin, a former attorney general and rumoured front runner for the judiciary’s top post.
Previously reported allegations that the leaked memo corroborated included claims that Terrirudin pressured then-chief justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat to rule in favour of certain parties in an unspecified case and pushed for the reappointment of judges linked to ongoing trials.
Terrirudin’s former office, the Attorney General’s Chambers, has since dismissed the claims as “speculation”.
Former deputy law minister Ramkarpal Singh said the allegations “strike at the very core of the integrity” of the judiciary and urged the prime minister to suspend Terrirudin’s candidacy for higher office until the matter was investigated.