KUCHING: PAS and Umno Youth have come under fire from a Dayak non-governmental 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 non-Muslim 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 non-Muslims 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 non-Muslim 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 non-Muslims.

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 non-Malay 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 long-serving Dato Seri Paduka Kifrawi, who completed his term after serving almost nine years in the country’s top judicial post.