Gerakan Calls for Urgent Judicial Reforms After Tun Tengku Maimun’s Revelation

KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia has urged the government to take immediate steps toward comprehensive judicial reforms, following a revelation by former Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat regarding alleged political interference in judicial appointments.

Gerakan president Datuk Dr. Dominic Lau Hoe Chai said the disclosure by Tun Tengku Maimun validated long-standing concerns that political figures had attempted to compromise the independence of the judiciary for their own interests.

“Gerakan strongly condemns such actions. Politicians must not tarnish or undermine the judiciary for personal gain. It is time for the government to pursue judicial reforms seriously, systematically, and comprehensively,” Lau said in a statement today.

He emphasized that judicial authority must remain equal to the legislative and executive branches, warning that historical episodes of political meddling had thrown the nation’s highest judicial offices into uncertainty.

“Despite political pressure, Tun Tengku Maimun stood firm in defending judicial principles. For that, she deserves the highest respect,” he added.

Lau also called for the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) to operate independently, free from executive involvement. He stressed that the appointment of judges should not be subject to screening or approval through the Prime Minister’s Office before being presented to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

“Judicial decisions must rest solely on the law and facts, without external interference. Judicial independence also extends to the role of the Attorney General, who must remain impartial and beyond political influence,” Lau said.