Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the appointment process had gone through the necessary stages, including assessment by the Judicial Appointments Commission, discussions with the Malay rulers, and obtaining the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Bernama reported.

“Many have asked me why it was not announced earlier. I cannot answer arbitrarily because the process of appointing judges involves the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

“It needs to go through discussions with the rulers and after it is agreed, it will then be brought back to the Agong for consent,” he said when launching the Bumiputera Master Plan, Tunas Madani, and a housing project in Permatang Pauh, Penang, today.

He said no judges were removed or dismissed as some parties have portrayed. Rather, the process of selecting new judges must be done carefully and with full respect for the constitutional monarchy system.

At the event, organised by the Penang Bumiputera Development Council, Anwar launched the Penang Bumiputera Development Master Plan (PIPBPP) 2026-2035, the Tunas Madani Programme, and the JKP Sdn Bhd housing project to assist the Bumiputera community in Penang.

The launch of the PIPBPP 2026-2035 will be the main strategic guide in driving the development of the Bumiputera community in Penang.

It was developed in collaboration with Universiti Utara Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi Mara as consultants and researchers with MPBPP.

The Tunas Madani Programme was designed with the specific objective of building the capacity of Bumiputera graduates to be involved in entrepreneurship.

The housing project by JKPSB involves the construction of 3,231 residential units in Permatang Pauh at a total development cost of RM1 billion.