KUALA LUMPUR: The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) has expressed support for the appointment of Malaysia’s three top judges, including Chief Justice Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh.
The group highlighted the importance of maintaining public trust in the judiciary.
Bersih’s steering committee noted Wan Ahmad Farid’s past recusal from cases involving political figures, such as former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, as a positive step toward judicial neutrality.
“Such a stance is vital to ensure that the public respects the judiciary as a body that upholds the principle of legal sovereignty,“ the committee said in a statement.
The other appointees include Datuk Abu Bakar Jais as President of the Court of Appeal and Datuk Azizah Nawawi as Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak.
Their appointments follow Clause (1) of Article 122B of the Federal Constitution, with approval from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and consultation with the Conference of Rulers.
The judges will receive their official letters and take their oaths before His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim at Istana Negara on July 28, 2025.
Bersih urged Wan Ahmad Farid to avoid actions that could undermine public confidence in judicial independence.
