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Key Highlights
Judiciary scandal brews, pressure builds
Chip off the old block: son-in-law edition
Syed Saddiq cleared, but not in the clear
Judiciary scandal brews, pressure builds
Pressure is mounting over bombshell allegations that a senior judge was accused by the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) of meddling in judicial affairs.
The Malaysian Bar is turning up the heat, demanding access to the JAC’s meeting minutes, arguing this is no ordinary disciplinary matter, but one that cuts to the core of public trust in the justice system.
Backing the call for transparency, the National Human Rights Society (Hakam) said such serious claims cannot be brushed aside. Its president M Ramachelvam called for full disclosure of any inquiries or proceedings tied to the alleged interference.
Perikatan Nasional MP Mas Ermieyati Samsudin has called for an official probe, while PAS Youth issued a stern warning to the government: don’t even think of sweeping this under the rug.
Adding to the chorus, the Defend the Judiciary Secretariat urged the judge in question to step aside from any ongoing cases, following the leak of a police report laced with damning claims.
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Chip off the old block: son-in-law edition
The apple may be from another tree, but in Zaharuddin Muhammad’s case, critics say it rolled straight to the trunk.
Though only a son-in-law, the Sungai Buloh PAS chief is sounding like a chip off the old block, echoing the same divisive rhetoric that has long been the calling card of his father-in-law, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.
Zaharuddin landed himself in hot water and a police report after his social media post appeared to take offence at Malaysia appointing its first Chinese lieutenant general.
While his father-in-law recuperates from a heart procedure, PAS appears to be undergoing damage control of its own - publicly distancing itself from Zaharuddin and, as secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan warned, possibly prescribing disciplinary action for his inflammatory post.
Zaharuddin did not just rile up DAP leaders Lim Guan Eng and Steven Sim with his remarks but even managed the rare feat of jolting PPP’s Youth wing out of hibernation.
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Syed Saddiq cleared, but not in the clear
In a unanimous decision on Wednesday, the Court of Appeal acquitted Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman of four charges of criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of property, and money laundering linked to RM1.12 million of Bersatu Youth funds.
However, the Attorney-General's Chambers confirmed that the prosecution has submitted a final appeal at the Federal Court.
Syed Saddiq, who is the former Muda president, has maintained that the charges against him were politically motivated.
The former minister, accused of committing the crimes between 2018 and 2020, was charged in 2021 and convicted by the High Court in November 2023. The lower court had sentenced him to seven years in jail, two strokes of the rotan, and slapped him with an RM10 million fine.
In an emotional press conference following his acquittal, Syed Saddiq spoke of the heavy toll the prolonged legal battle had taken - not just on him, but more so on his family, especially his mother, Sharifah Mahani Syed Abdul Aziz, who had been quietly fighting cancer throughout his ordeal.
“Honestly, I hope that what I have gone through will not be experienced by any of my political enemies. I don’t wish this even on my worst enemies. I bear no grudges for the future,” he said.
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Views that matter
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