Anwar said he had a lengthy discussion this morning with the Conference of Rulers, which is convening from today to Thursday, and that an announcement could be made tomorrow on the top judicial appointments.
He added that the announcement would dispel negative perceptions surrounding the issue.
“(Law and institutional reform minister) Azalina Othman Said knows it, and the chief secretary to the government (Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar) knows for a fact that it was never the case.
“The names that seemed to be compromises had never been presented to the king or to the rulers. So I rest my case,” he said at the International Conference on Governance and Integrity 2025 here.
Anwar expressed hope that the upcoming announcement would prove his government was committed to institutional reforms and preserving the independence of the judiciary.
Under Article 122B of the Federal Constitution, the appointments of top judges – including the chief justice, Court of Appeal president and chief judge of Malaya – are made by the king on the advice of the prime minister, after consulting the Conference of Rulers.
Earlier this week, Azalina said the appointment of a new chief justice to head the judiciary would be decided only after the next Conference of Rulers meeting.
She also said recommendations by the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) on the appointment of new judges were not binding.
This follows criticism over delays in the appointment of senior judges following the retirement of the chief justice and president of the Court of Appeal, and impending vacancies in the superior courts.
Chief Judge of Malaya Hasnah Hashim is serving as acting chief justice following the retirement of Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, while Federal Court judge Zabariah Yusof is acting Court of Appeal president after Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim retired.
A document allegedly containing excerpts from a JAC meeting held in May also went viral recently, claiming that Tengku Maimun had raised concerns about the integrity of a candidate for an administrative post in the judiciary.
Claims were made that the judge in question had once attempted to influence the outcome of a case in favour of a specific party, and had sought the transfer of a fellow judge for holding a differing view.
Police are investigating the alleged leak of the JAC meeting minutes under the Official Secrets Act and two other laws.
Azalina plays down talk of Terrirudin’s nomination
Separately, Azalina played down speculation that Federal Court judge Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh could potentially fill one of the top administrative posts in the judiciary.
She also said she did not see any document confirming claims that he was named as a candidate for the post.
“I am not involved in the process so I don’t have access to the documents. Thus, I cannot verify,” the law and institutional reform minister told reporters on the sidelines of the conference.
Azalina reiterated that the final decision would be made by the king on the prime minister’s advice, after consulting the Conference of Rulers.