The three new chief justices have been named and Tan Sri Ahmad Terriruddin Mohd Salleh is not in the list. Bar Council welcomes the appointment while Rafizi Ramli can take a break from firing salvo. As a result, the anti-Anwar sentiment cools down, narrowly avoiding a political crisis. Probably relieved, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim fired a shot much later by saying that he had never nominated Terriruddin. The claims made by outsiders were baseless but a politically-motivated by the legal fraternity. Is this really the case? People know the truth. What Anwar failed to explain is why the government delayed addressing the brewing storm over judicial appointments. Terriruddin was widely speculated to be the preferred candidate, yet he never responded to the rumours. A leaked JAC (Judicial Appointments Commission) meeting record showed someone had indeed nominated Terriruddin and the government never denied the authenticity of the documents. This time, the government did not nominate Terriruddin. However, if the Bar Council did not initiate the “Walk for judicial independence”, disclosure by Rafizi and the public outcry, things might have gone differently. With Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh elevated to Chief Justice of the Federal Court, the public has largely reacted positively, reflecting that Terriruddin was broadly unacceptable. Anwar followed the public sentiment—better to turn around before going over the cliff. But surviving this judicial crisis doesn’t mean Anwar is out of the woods. He now faces five major crises that trap him: Oppositions unite – July 26 rally looms The “Turun Anwar” rally on July 26 is shaping up to be more than just a comic-book-style doomsday stunt like the one on July 5. It could be a political tsunami. The oppositions, previously divided by factions as one is suspicious and sabotage each other, have now reconciled. Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and PAS have reunited plus the 100-year-old Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, are pushing a large-scale anti-Anwar campaign. Muhyiddin is also engaging with parties he rarely dealt with before, including MUDA, the Socialist Party, P. Ramasamy’s Urimai Party, and the Malaysian Indian People’s Party—clearly trying to appeal to non-Malay groups. A recent rally packed the Sultan Abdul Halim Stadium in Alor Setar. Even if not the 30,000 crowd claimed by PAS, photos suggest over 10,000 people. Given this momentum, the July 26 rally could be even larger, further fueling the anti-Anwar wave—and Anwar is in a tight spot. UMNO leverages on Najib’s clemency addendum The Attorney-General’s Chambers recently admitted in court that the royal addendum for Najib does exist—forcing Anwar to face the issue head-on. The 160 Umno division chiefs convened and unanimously demanded the government enforce the addendum, allowing Najib to serve his sentence at home. This made UMNO’s collective stance clear. Even Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who tries to protect Anwar, is now in a tough position. Some political observers believe Zahid himself orchestrated this. Given his control over UMNO, the division chiefs wouldn’t act without his directive or approval. If Anwar doesn’t compromise with […]
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