PUCHONG, July 8 — Pandan MP Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli and eight fellow PKR lawmakers today called for the formation of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate alleged interference in Malaysia’s judiciary and controversies surrounding judicial appointments.
Speaking at a press conference in Subang, Rafizi said the inquiry is necessary to uphold judicial independence and quell growing public speculation, which he warned could otherwise cause long-term harm to Malaysia’s justice system.
The group of MPs, which includes Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Wong Chen, and Rodziah Ismail, emphasised that their call for the RCI was not an attack on the government but a proactive move to preserve institutional integrity.
They announced several measures to push their cause, including seeking bipartisan support, writing to the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Institutional Reform, and holding nationwide public forums beginning July 13.
Rafizi underscored the risk of repeating past crises, referencing the 1988 constitutional crisis and the 2007 VK Lingam tape scandal, both of which eroded public confidence in the judiciary. Subang MP Wong Chen echoed the concern, recalling how decades of damage stemmed from past failures to safeguard judicial independence.
“We are now at a crossroads,” he said, “and we must act to avoid repeating history.” The MPs also proposed that current judicial vacancies be filled either through recommendations previously made by the Judicial Appointments Commission or be deferred until the RCI or parliamentary proceedings conclude.
They will also launch an online petition to gather public support in defending the judiciary’s independence.
