Malaysia’s judicial crisis deepened over the weekend after a leaked memo revealed serious allegations against Federal Court Judge Terrirudin Salleh, as lawyers marched to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s office on Monday to protest against alleged executive interference in the judiciary.
Anwar has come under mounting pressure over the scandal, with lawmakers from his own party breaking ranks to demand that he “clear the air”, warning that judicial integrity is now “the biggest issue” facing the country.
At 3pm on Monday, almost 1,000 lawyers walked over 2km (1.2 miles) from the Palace of Justice to the gates of the prime minister’s office in Putrajaya to express their concern over the situation.
The prime minister’s office handed out free ice cream to the besuited lawyers sweltering under the afternoon sun. “We want justice, not just ice cream,” lawyer Rafique Rashid said.
The leaked memo, which comprises minutes from a classified Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) meeting in May, was uploaded to social media on Saturday.
