KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 -- When the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) recommends names to be appointed as judges, does the prime minister of Malaysia accept all these recommendations?

During a forum by the Malaysian Bar here, two former JAC members today confirmed that "the answer is no", including former Malaysian Bar president Datuk Mah Weng Kwai.

"When it goes to the PM's Office, everything is done so diplomatically, you will never get an answer from the PM's Office to say so and so not to be appointed. What we will hear is, can we have other names please," said Mah, who is also a retired Court of Appeal judge.

Emeritus Prof Datuk Shad Saleem Faruqi, holder of Universiti Malaya's Tunku Abdul Rahman chair, replied: "Same here, the ...