PETALING JAYA: The government will undertake a comprehensive review of the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) Act 2009, following growing calls to remove the prime minister’s role in the appointment of judges.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the review would be holistic and aligned with the broader agenda of institutional reform.
“It aims to ensure that the judicial appointment process upholds the principles of transparency and judicial independence, while safeguarding the role of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the constitutional privileges of the Malay Rulers,” he said in a statement.
Anwar added that the review would include consultations with key stakeholders, such as the judiciary, the Conference of Rulers, the Malaysian Bar, and civil society organisations.
The announcement comes after Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat remarked that eliminating the prime minister’s involvement in judicial appointments could help dispel perceptions of political interference in the judiciary.
