KUALA LUMPUR – A leaked document, allegedly minutes from a Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) meeting in May, has apparently triggered political uproar and renewed scrutiny of judicial integrity following the retirement of former chief justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat.
The document, believed to have first surfaced on Reddit before spreading to Facebook and X, contains allegations echoing those in a leaked police report lodged in June on behalf of a senior judge, according to Malaysiakini.
That report was made after the outlet contacted the judge for comment on claims of judicial interference.
Public Accounts Committee chief Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, on Facebook, described the leak as “madness”, if true.
PAS also weighed in, with information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari demanding an open explanation from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He warned that if the contents of the leaked minutes are true and cannot be convincingly refuted, the prime minister must resign.
“This implicates not just the judiciary, but the prime minister’s own integrity,” Fadhli said on Facebook.
He also cautioned top judges against colluding in any effort to subvert justice, saying anyone found complicit must be held accountable regardless of rank.
Calls for a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) are mounting. Last week, nine PKR lawmakers led by Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli demanded an RCI and urged the Parliament Special Select Committee on reforms to investigate, likening the scandal’s potential scale to the infamous VK Lingam judge-fixing episode.
The Malaysian Bar will march on Monday to deliver a memorandum to Anwar, reiterating the call for an RCI. The prime minister is also reported to expectedly meet Pakatan Harapan MPs on the matter the same day.
In response, the Attorney-General’s Chambers has dismissed the allegations as “speculation” and said comparisons to the Lingam scandal are unwarranted. – July 13, 2025