Kit Siang urges top judges to ‘gracefully resign’

PETALING JAYA: DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang has called on Chief Justice Tun Md Raus Sharif and Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin to “gracefully resign” from their positions.

Lim said that Raus and Zulkefli should step down to bring the “constitutional crisis” over the two top judicial posts to an end.

The re-appointments of Raus and Zulkefli to their respective posts were controversial, as their terms were extended after they reached the mandatory retirement age of 66 years and six months.

“When Raus was controversially re-appointed as Chief Justice, he said his reappointment as Chief Justice was “unprecedented” but constitutional, that there was always a first time for everything, and that when something happens for the first time, there is bound to be many differences in opinion,” said Lim.

“What is incontrovertible however is that re-appointment of Raus and Zulkefli to the two top judicial posts in the land had met with criticism and opposition,” he said.

Lim said that the criticism of their re-appointment came with the weight of “juristic, legal and informed public opinion”.

He said critics included former chief justice Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad, former Federal Court judge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram, former attorney-general Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman, former de facto Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, as well as the Malaysian Bar.

“The graceful resignation of Raus as Chief Justice and Zulkefli as Court of Appeal President will allow a good start to much-needed judicial and legal reforms in the country,” said Lim.

In 2017, Pakatan Harapan submitted a memorandum to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong seeking his intervention to stop Raus and Zulkefli’s unconstitutional re-appointments.

The extensions were also challenged in court by The Malaysian Bar, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah).