The government does not see the necessity to set up an independent Judicial Services Commission to deal with future appointments, transfers and promotion of judges, said Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today.

"I don't see (the necessity). Nobody is truly independent. If we were to have, say an ombudsman, even he too will not be independent because definitely he is going to make a decision which will be influenced by his judgment and thinking," he said.

The premier added that such a body may not necessarily be fully independent as it would definitely have interest over certain issues.

"We can never say that there are people so completely independent that they will appoint someone they do not like," he was quoted in a Bernama report.

Mahathir was commenting on the proposed resolution by the Bar Council at its extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to be held on Saturday calling the government and the chief justice to take steps to set up the commission.

'Indebted' judges

The issue came to the fore following the recent promotion of judges, which certain quarters have alleged was dictated by political motives and not merit.

Bar Council chairperson Kuthubul Zaman Bukhari was reported to have said that the council proposed that the commission be made up of the chief justice, the attorney-general, at least two senior judges and two senior legal practitioners nominated by the council and two members of the public.

In the event that the proposal was adopted, the prime minister said he was concerned that the judges appointed would be indebted to the council and would no longer be independent eventually.

"If that's going to be the case, the person appointed will be indebted and this means that they will always be responsive to the lawyers, thus they will no longer be independent.

"This is because they are aware of the authority of the lawyers in deciding who gets to be appointed as judges, who will be promoted and things like that," stressed the premier.