KUALA LUMPUR – Former chief justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat sealed her fate on any extension when she insinuated that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim interferes with judicial appointments.
Former law minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz said instead of voicing her concerns privately to the prime minister, she chose an international stage in a foreign country to express her views.
"If you feel the prime minister has interfered, then it should be done quietly. You speak to the prime minister and tell him, 'we feel you have interfered'.
"This should have been done behind closed doors, not in Malta!"
Nazri was speaking to Scoop in an interview at his home on Wednesday.
Tengku Maimun gave an eyebrow-raising speech at the Commonwealth Law Conference in Malta on April 8.
Titled "Judicial independence and Parliamentary Sovereignty – A Colossi of Roads?”, among her remarks were: "Of late, there have been proposals to amend the Judicial Appointments Commission Act 2009 and the Federal Constitution to remove the role of the prime minister in the appointment of judges.
"Such changes in my view would reinforce the impartiality of the selection process, ensuring that judicial appointments remain firmly grounded on merit and free from any perception of political influence."
"So if you want to know why she was not extended, that was probably it.
"The judiciary should be above everything," Nazri said.
“She wanted the extension, but she did not get it. What did she expect?”
He said Maimun's actions were not acceptable, especially at a time when Anwar was travelling extensively to bring investment into the country.
"You did this overseas at a time when the prime minister was getting a lot of attention, meeting world leaders, being feted by world leaders…,” he said.
He criticised the apparent pallying between the Chief Justice and the legal fraternity, which is calling for her extension.
"One lawyer told me she was not referring to PMX. I disagree. You are the sitting chief justice. Anwar is the sitting prime minister. So you must be referring to him."
In this respect, Nazri said he agrees with what former PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli had said about a judge who recently lodged a police report alleging that there was interference in the judiciary.
"Rafizi is right when he said that judges cannot speak out (hence the need to lodge a police report) but the chief justice spoke out against the executive in Malta!"
Yesterday, Nazri said Rafizi and eight PKR MPs calling for a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) should be considered to address any speculation of interference.
Nazri said that while he does not want to see a pro-executive judiciary, neither does he want a judiciary that is anti-executive.
"The judiciary and the executive cannot be attacking each other. They cannot be at each other's throats; they must cooperate."
Articulating the separation of powers, Nazri said the legislature can be relied on to voice any concerns on the judiciary or executive.
"The legislature is different. They are elected by the people, and their freedom of speech is protected by the constitution.
"They are free to criticise the executive, they are also free to criticise the judiciary," he said.
He said that if the judiciary and executive attack each other, it will cause the public to lose confidence and respect in these institutions.
He said that when he was the law minister, he had to speak up at the height of a controversy surrounding the special relationship between the former chief justice Tun Eusoff Chin and lawyer Datuk VK Lingam.
"As a judge, he couldn’t speak ou,t so I, as a member of the executive, had to speak in his defence (before the subsequent RCI)."
Nazri concluded that Tengku Maimun herself articulated the need for a good relationship among the three pillars of government in her speech.
"A constructive and balanced relationship between the judiciary and the other branches of government is essential to preserving judicial independence while respecting the democratic mandate of Parliament.
"This relationship is not a contest for supremacy but a partnership in governance – one founded not just on mutual respect but on a clear understanding of our respective constitutional roles."
“As she said, there is no contest for supremacy. In Malaysia, the Constitution is Supreme.
“She should take a leaf from her own speech,” he said. – July 10, 2025
The post Did Maimun’s Malta moment cost her extension as CJ? appeared first on Scoop.
