Malaysia 1MDB scandal: lawyers call for ‘walk for justice’ to defend judiciary amid anti-graft probe backlash
- Legal fraternity urged to rise up after ‘total disregard by certain quarters for the hallowed principle of the independence of the judiciary’
- Anger is growing over an anti-corruption probe into prominent judge Nazlan Ghazali; he convicted ex-leader Najib Razak in 1MDB scandal’s first major case
Malaysia’s legal community is planning a rare public demonstration amid rising anger over an anti-corruption probe into a prominent judge, an investigation some lawyers have described as tantamount to judicial interference.
The judge in question, the Court of Appeal’s Nazlan Ghazali, presided over the 2020 conviction of the country’s ex-leader and still influential politician Najib Razak.
Nazlan has been the subject of smear campaigns following that verdict - which Najib is appealing - and lawyers have insinuated that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) may have breached norms by directly investigating Nazlan following a complaint, instead of having the judiciary probe the matter.
The agency has also come under fire for publicising the probe, which lawyers say would undermine the integrity of the entire judiciary even before any finding is made. The Bar Council said last month that the investigation “undermines the rule of law and creates intimidation and a climate of fear”.
