YESTERDAY, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) announced that it had completed investigation into Court of Appeal judge Datuk Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.
It added that the investigation papers had been sent to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) last Wednesday for further action.
With that said, a Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) leader urged the Malaysian Bar to stop holding meetings over the alleged assault on the judiciary and just move with a rally.
“MACC doubling down. Bar Council should just walk. Enough of EGMs & press statements,” said MUDA vice president Lim Wei Jeit.
However, not everyone was impressed with Lim’s call and took to social media to lash out at him.
“Arent you a lawyer? why cant u wait for the facts to be checked by AGC? Are you really a lawyer?” asked user Miskol.
Echoing Miskol’s sentiments, user Zie Zie added:
Netizen Vince Tan retorted:
Last month, blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin alleged that Nazlan had an “unexplained wealth” in his account and urged the authorities to investigate the matter.
With that, the MACC launched a probe on the veteran judge after a report was lodged. In turn, Nazlan himself had lodged a police report over Raja Petra’s article.
Following the attacks against Nazlan, Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat fired a salvo against several quarters for launching baseless attacks against judges in an attempt to undermine the credibility of the courts.
“Citizens including politicians are, to a certain extent, are free to criticise the judiciary. However, that does not mean that it is open to citizens including politicians to level unfounded and scurrilous attacks against the judiciary or a particular judge to further their own end.
“What has happened in the past few days involving slander against judges and the judiciary, in my view, is quite excessive,” she was reported as saying.
Respect separation of powers
With that, the Malaysian Bar had called for several meetings calling for lawyers to take the streets if the attacks against the judiciary persists, mirroring the Walk for Justice in 2007.
When serving as High Court judge in 2020, Nazlan sentenced former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak to 12 years in prison and RM210 mil for corruption, abuse of power and money laundering.
The Court of Appeal upheld Nazlan’s verdict last year. The Federal Court is due to hear Najib’s final appeal in August.
On that note, user Joseph Bingo said that it was bizarre that people at this age and time could not understand the concept of separation of powers.
Netizen Turnera cheekily posted a link to a story published by The Edge on July 10, 2020, where Tengku Maimun herself had urged the public to lodge reports with the MACC if there are allegations of judicial misconduct by members of the bench. – May 22, 2022
