1. DAPSY calls upon the government to address the growing concerns surrounding recent key judicial appointments, emphasizing that the matter has affected the public’s trust in the judiciary.
2. To prevent further erosion of trust, the government should respond to the questions surrounding the judicial appointments based on principles of transparency and accountability.
3. Malaysia has faced immense challenges over the past decades in its efforts to gradually rebuild judicial independence. This hard-won progress must not be jeopardized by a lack of transparency and clarity.
4. The judicial appointment controversy has sparked widespread concern among the legal fraternity and civil society. A quote from the 2007 “Walk for Justice” remains just as relevant today: “When lawyers walk, something must be very wrong.”
5. DAPSY points out that the heart of the issue lies in public confusion over whether the candidates for Chief Justice and Court of Appeal President, recommended by the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) were accepted or not, and subsequently resulting in vacancies in the top judicial positions.
6. While the judicial appointment process is extensive and multi-layered, the lack of clarity surrounding both the tenure extensions of former top judges and the appointment of new ones has understandably led to growing public doubt. Without a timely, transparent, and responsible explanation from the government, this unease will only deepen.
7. DAPSY reiterates that the judiciary is a cornerstone of Malaysia’s constitutional democracy, in which executive power must respect and preserve judicial independence to ensure a just, clean, and stable society.
8. As such, DAPSY calls upon the government to clarify the matter to the public through proper institutional mechanisms and to take meaningful steps to restore transparency and public trust in our democratic institutions.
9. History offers lessons that must not be ignored. The public’s trust in national institutions cannot be built on silence or ambiguity, but must be rooted in accountability, openness, and respect for the separation of powers.
