Rafique defends Chief Justice, accuses Nazri of constitutional ignorance

SHAH ALAM – Pejuang Information Chief, Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali has slammed former law minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz for calling for stern action to be taken against the Chief Justice, Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat.

Rafique said Nazri’s comments were made recklessly and without understanding the true substance of Tengku Maimun’s speech at the 24th Commonwealth Law Conference held recently in Malta.

"The Chief Justice’s speech was clearly grounded in the spirit of the Federal Constitution, particularly the concept of separation of powers.

"Her proposal that the Prime Minister should not be involved in the appointment of judges was to prevent any perception of political interference in the judiciary.

"That was all she suggested, nothing more. It is truly unfortunate that a former minister and an experienced politician like Nazri failed to grasp the fundamentals of our Constitution," he said in the statement on Monday.

Rafique also pointed out that the proposal should have been welcomed by all parties, including the government, instead of being used as a basis to threaten the Chief Justice with disciplinary action.

"If Nazri truly upholds the principles of justice, as advocated by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim himself, he should be supporting the Chief Justice’s suggestion, not reprimanding her," he added.

According to him, Nazri’s suggestion to form a special committee to investigate the Chief Justice’s speech clearly demonstrated ignorance of the Federal Constitution’s structure.

"Article 125 clearly outlines the process that must be followed if any action is to be taken against a judge, especially the Chief Justice. This is not a matter of personal preference," he stressed.

Rafique added that the Chief Justice is a highly respected figure and the last line of defence for the people against interference from the executive and legislative branches.

"Was she being targeted simply because she voiced an issue that has long been discussed among ordinary citizens? This is not politics — this is about the rule of law.

"We fully support the Chief Justice’s proposal. Only those who are overly political and looking for cheap political capital would attack her," he said.