HOLDING a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate judicial corruption would be a good and fair move, says Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

While Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad will decide on the matter, Wan Azizah supported calls for a RCI following claims of interference, bias and swindling of government funds by top judges alleged in an affidavit by Court of Appeal judge Hamid Sultan Abu Backer recently.

“It is important to look into this and I think enacting a RCI would be a good and fair move,” Wan Azizah told reporters after a Chinese New Year celebration in Kuala Lumpur today.

She said Dr Mahathir is considering the matter seriously as the affidavit released by a sitting judge carries a lot of weight.

“These claims were not made by just anybody,” she said

Hamid’s affidavit filed this week alleged that top judges have been aiding private parties to defraud the government.

He also alleged judicial interference to sway the outcome of certain cases in favour of the then government.

Hamid had filed his affidavit in support of the daughter of the late Karpal Singh, lawyer Sangeet Kaur Deo, who is seeking a declaration that Chief Justice Richard Malanjum had failed to act on cases of judicial interference.

Hamid has said that for selfish interests such as promotions, some judges kept mum or even supported the constitutional crimes committed by the apex court justices.

Yesterday, Dr Mahathir said that the government will study the need for the RCI before establishing the commission to look into the allegations. – February 16, 2019.