Richard Malanjum, the country’s former highest-ranking judge has launched yesterday the UPKO election machinery in Kadamaian, a constituency in the Kota Belud district here, and gave a speech in support of the Warisan-led Sabah Government.
“During this campaign period, we must remember that many parties are claiming that they are fighting for Sabah’s rights. But are they really sincere?
“We want local parties who are sincere in their struggle for restoring Sabah’s rights, not those parties who are nominating themselves to create another ‘backdoor’ to allow Umno to once again enter Sabah to control us. Be careful of that,” he was quoted as saying by The Borneo Post.
Malanjum is viewed as a staunch supporter of the Warisan government and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Shafie Apdal, most recently having supplied and donated many Covid-19 test kits, antigen kits and medical equipment to the state health authorities.
At the launch ceremony on Saturday, after nominations, Malanjum said that the Warisan Plus government was the one to vote for if the state wanted to restore its wealth, increase its oil royalties and get native land titles that had been delayed for many decades.
Malanjum, a native Christian, is known among the natives for his advocacy in Native Customary Rights (NCR).
The many landmark cases he presided over include Lina Joy, the Herald case involving the word “Allah” and Indira Gandhi’s unilateral conversion.
He is also the first East Malaysian to be named as head of the Malaysian judiciary after Pakatan Harapan took control of the Federal Government in 2018. He retired in April last year.
