Gerakan welcomes and describes the Prime Minister’s announcement to set up a Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) as “a major right step in the right direction” towards overall judiciary reform.

“We believe the government will soon take very quick and concrete measures to set up the commission which should have representatives from the legal profession and civil society,” said Acting President Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon.

Tan Sri Dr. Koh spoke to Bernama TV last night after the Malaysian Bar Council dinner last night where the Prime Minister delivered the keynote address.

“Hopefully, this will lead to other reforms that will restore public confidence in our judiciary,” said Tan Sri Dr. Koh.

Gerakan has been calling for judiciary reform to restore the independence, integrity and image of the judiciary, which was badly damaged since the 1988 “assault” on the judiciary.

Last year, Gerakan was the first Barisan Nasional component party to openly support the setting up of a Royal Commission on the V. K. Lingam video-clips, in Dr. Koh’s speech at the party’s National Delegates Conference in October, 2007.

Subsequently, Gerakan also called repeatedly for judiciary reforms, including the setting up of JAC.

The Gerakan Central Working Committee had a cordial closed-door meeting in January this year with the Bar Council Committee led by its chairman, Ms Ambiga Sreenevasan where Gerakan agreed and pledged to work to realize many of the Bar Council’s proposals for judiciary reform.

Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon
Acting President PGRM