KUCHING, June 14: Dayak National Congress (DNC) today appeals for a fair representation in the federal civil service for Sarawakians and Sabahans, and also calls for Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjum to be appointed Chief Judge of Malaysia (CJM) to reform the judiciary.
Politically, Dayak National Congress president Paul Raja said, Malaysia had come of age after the people voted in a new government after 55 years of being ruled by a single coalition.
“Many national institutions created immediately after independence drove the nation to a single race civil service. This has resulted in many dysfunctional agencies, leading to the breakdown in services.
“Sarawak and Sabah representation in federal agencies are noticeably absent. Article 153(2) requiring a reasonable proportion of positions to be reserved for East Malaysian officers (pursuant to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 or MA63) seems to have been forgotten,” he said in a statement.
Paul observed that when it comes to promotion of officers and civil servants, officers from Sarawak and Sabah were often overlooked. Hence, it was high time that these injustices to Sabah and Sarawak should now be addressed.
In the case of the judiciary, Paul said Malanjum was the most qualified to be the next CJM.
“Although it may be quite late for Richard Malanjum to helm the CJM position, it is never too late to rectify the wrongs of the past now.
“With the introduction of the Institutional Reform Committee by the Pakatan Harapan government, it is only appropriate that the government seize the occasion to start reforming the judiciary by appointing Richard Malanjum to be the CJM.”
Paul said everyone in Sarawak, particularly DNC, would like to see national integration being done all the way to the top.
“MA63 is not a trivial document. It is an important international treaty,” he emphasised. — DayakDaily
