PAS, Umno Youth under fire over criticism of CJ

KUCHING: PAS and Umno Youth have come under fire from a Dayak nongovernmental group for denigrating the appointment of Tan Sri Richard Malanjum as Chief Justice.

Dayak National Congress president Paul Raja said the profiling of Malanjum as a nonMuslim by PAS and Umno Youth was uncalled for.

He was responding to the sarcastic congratulations by Umno Youth on Malanjum’s appointment and PAS’ claim that the legal rights of Muslims were under threat following the appointments of nonMuslims to the top legal positions of Chief Justice, Attorney General and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of legal affairs.

Paul said being a nonMuslim did not restrict the Chief Justice from administering justice in the nation’s highest court.

He said what was most important was that Malanjum fulfilled the required legal and constitutional conditions to be Chief Justice.

Paul also noted that Malaysia was a multiracial country and that Sabah and Sarawak were part of the nation with many nonMuslims.

He said Sabahans and Sarawakians had the right to be appointed to the highest office in the civil service if they were qualified.

“Article 153 of the Federal Constitution was neglected by the previous regime as far as the rights of the natives of Sabah and Sarawak were concerned, with regard to appointments in civil service.

“PAS and Umno Youth should help build a better Malaysia instead of trying to gain popularity using divisive means,” Paul said.

Meanwhile in Brunei, a nonMalay judge was appointed as the new chief justice of the Supreme Court.

High Court judge Dato Paduka Steven Chong was appointed the new chief justice on June 30 after Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei gave consent to the appointment.

Chong succeeds the longserving Dato Seri Paduka Kifrawi, who completed his term after serving almost nine years in the country’s top judicial post.