Rafizi Not Joining Malaysian Bar S March On July 14

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Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli will not be joining the Malaysian Bar's “Walk to Safeguard Judicial Independence” scheduled for July 14.
ADSRafizi said the march only involves the legal fraternity, and he does not want his presence and that of other colleagues with similar objectives to be seen as "political interference".
"I'm not certain whether the Malaysian Bar would welcome it. Perhaps that would be seen as political interference in their affairs.
I'm not planning (to join) at the moment. My view is that it is the Malaysian Bar's matter," Rafizi (above) told Malaysiakini today.
The march is to take place from the Palace of Justice to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in Putrajaya, and the Bar would submit a memorandum with four demands to the PMO.
The demands include: filling top judicial vacancies, releasing minutes of a recent Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) meeting, forming a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to probe judicial interference, and addressing overall judicial vacancies.
This came amid rising tensions over recent allegations concerning interference in judicial appointments and unresolved vacancies following the recent retirement of senior judges.
Bar president Ezri Abdul Wahab earlier today said the walk is not only for lawyers, as anyone from the judicial or the public may join.
He also said the walk is to voice grave institutional concerns on the state of the judiciary, and not for any judge in particular.
Call for RCI
On Monday, Rafizi and the eight PKR lawmakers urged the formation of the RCI and the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on institutional reforms to investigate alleged judicial interference.
They called for the RCI to probe claims that the government ignored JAC recommendations before Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat’s retirement, including nominations for chief justice and Court of Appeal president.
They also highlighted concerns that the JAC was summoned last Friday without the mandatory 10-day notice to propose new candidates.
Rafizi likened the allegations to the VK Lingam scandal, where a 2002 phone recording revealed efforts to influence judicial appointments.
The Attorney-General’s Chambers subsequently downplayed the concerns raised by the PKR lawmakers and described the comparison with the Lingam scandal as unwarranted. - Mkini

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