Anwar: Judicial walk a positive sign our democracy's evolving

KUALA LUMPUR: Today’s ‘Walk for Judicial Independence’ shows encouraging signs that the country’s democracy is a constant work in progress, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The PKR president added that the existence of an independent judiciary cannot be taken for granted.

He applauded the Malaysian Bar for organising today’s march by lawyers to Parliament, saying it reaffirmed “their previous efforts in 2007, 2011 and 2014, showing that the legal fraternity remains cognisant of its critical role in upholding justice in the country.”

“Since time immemorial, forces have tried to undermine Malaysia’s democratic institutions in order to achieve their selfish gains at the expense of the rakyat,” he said in a statement.

He reminded Malaysians to remain vigilant in defending the institutions that protect their rights, as laid out in the Federal Constitution.

This, he said, included the power of one’s votes at the ballot box and exercising the right to free speech.

The Bar Council’s march was held in response to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) investigation against Court of Appeal judge Datuk Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, following allegations about an unexplained RM1 million in his personal account.

The investigation papers have been submitted to the Attorney-General Chambers (AGC) for further action.

Mohd Nazlan, who previously convicted former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak over the misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC International Sdn Bhd funds, has also lodged a police report and denied the accusations.