Anwar says new CJ appointment clears him of judicial interference claim

PUTRAJAYA, July 18 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the appointment of a new Chief Justice has vindicated him over claims he wanted former attorney general Tan Sri Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh named to the role.

The PM acknowledged the speculation but insisted that this was baseless and stemmed from unnamed members of the legal fraternity whom he accused of “politicking”.

“The complaints and grievances that were hurled at me for weeks, the criticisms, the slander, but now, it turns out that those claims were completely off the mark,” he told reporters after performing Friday prayers at Surau Al-Istiqlal in Presint 14 here.

“There were names being thrown around, I can say it, including a former attorney general who served with distinction and is now a Federal Court judge. 

“However, because he still has many years ahead of him, his name was never proposed in the first place. His name was not brought up by me, nor was it discussed by the Conference of Rulers.”

Anwar then said he hoped that the matter would now be put to rest, and stressed that he had never interfered in the judicial process, nor exercised any prerogative to remove judges.

“Those who insulted, slandered, and contributed to the judicial crisis, let it be clear, I did not remove any judge, I did not transfer any judge at will, and I did not interfere with any decision. I did not issue instructions to the Chief Justice or to any Court of Appeal judges, as had happened in the past.

“We have not done any of that, because we must uphold the independence and dignity of the judiciary,” he said.

Court of Appeal Judge Wan Ahmad Farid will be sworn in as the country's 17th Chief Justice on July 28, succeeding Tengku Maimun, who retired on July 2.

Datuk Abu Bakar Jais has been appointed as the new president of the Court of Appeal, while Datuk Azizah Nawawi has been appointed Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak.