LAWYER Sangeet Kaur Deo, who had filed an originating summons against Chief Justice Richard Malanjum for alleged lack of action over judicial interference, today commended Justice Hamid Sultan Abu Backer for speaking out against judicial corruption. 

Hamid, a sitting judge in the Court of Appeal, had in his 63-page affidavit to support Sangeet’s summons, revealed explosive and detailed information on judicial interference by top judges to ensure outcomes favourable to the government of the day.

Hamid’s affidavit was filed yesterday and is currently pending in the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

“This was an unprecedented and exceptionally bold move on the part of a serving Court of Appeal judge,” Sangeet said in a statement today. 

Sangeet said Hamid must be offered the protection he now requires and must also be given the opportunity to reveal further information through formal channels of inquiry. 

“The current administration and the chief justice must immediately address the alarming revelations in (Hamid’s) affidavit. Failure to do so will speak for itself,” Sangeet said. 

Sangeet, the daughter of the late DAP stalwart Karpal Singh, had filed the originating summons against the chief justice last month, alleging that he failed to act on alleged judicial interference in two instances: her father’s sedition appeal and the M. Indira Gandhi conversion case.

She also urged the Malaysian Bar to take a stand on Hamid’s revelation, adding it was regrettable that the Bar Council president had “found it fit to remain silent on such a fundamental issue involving the integrity of the Malaysian judiciary”.

“The issues plaguing the independence of the Malaysian judiciary, which have long been wilfully ignored, are now public. Stakeholders, especially the Pakatan Harapan government, must not renege on their duty to address this crisis. 

“The honour of the Malaysian judiciary is very much at stake.” 

Among Hamid’s allegations are that senior members of the judiciary had aided private parties in defrauding the government.

He had also used the terms “judicial rowdies” and “hit squad” to describe the judges who had helped ensure that court decisions favoured the government of the day.

He cited two cases – Anwar Ibrahim’s appeal at the Court of Appeal in his sodomy case and PKR politician Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad’s freedom of assembly case.

“This is continuing unabated, even after the change of government, as there is sufficient material to purportedly say top judges are continuing to mislead the public by conniving not to expose judicial crimes,” he had said in his affidavit. – February 15, 2019.