Malaysia forms Royal Commission of Inquiry into allegations of judicial misconduct

Allegations about the impartiality of the judiciary were made in a 65-page affidavit filed by Court of Appeal judge Hamid Sultan Abu Backer

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Lawyers welcomed the royal commission, saying it would benefit Malaysia’s rule of law. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 7:01am, 22 Feb 2019Updated: 9:50pm, 22 Feb 2019

The Malaysian government has promised to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the nation’s judiciary, following shocking allegations of collusion and misconduct by an appeal court judge.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad confirmed that the government had agreed to form a commission into the allegations on Thursday, according to reports in domestic media.

Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Photo: Reuters

“We are setting up the [commission] and it’s up to them to look into the allegations made by the judge,” he said, adding that the terms of reference had not yet been finalised and were still to be determined.

The decision was met with approval from lawyers, who said that a commission of inquiry will not only benefit the country’s legal profession and judiciary, but also the public and rule of law at large.

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“This is the only way for the authorities to recognise that there are deep-rooted issues concerning the independence and impartiality of the judiciary which have gone on for far too long,” said Eric Paulsen, a lawyer who is Malaysia’s representative to the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights.