KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 — Tan Sri Raus Sharif has been challenged again over his unprecedented three-year extended tenure as Chief Justice past the usual retirement age of 66.

This time, veteran lawmaker Lim Kit Siang dared Raus to declare if he is willing for his peers to decide on the constitutionality of his controversial reappointment to Bench as an additional judge.

"Is Raus prepared to allow his peers in Federal Court to pronounce on the constitutionality of his re-appointment as Chief Justice?” the Gelang Patah MP asked in a statement today.

The DAP leader highlighted that Raus had said it is up to the courts to decide on the constitutionality of his appointment, in the wake of conflicting opinions in the matter.

Lim has been among the most persistent and vocal critics against Raus’ continuation as top judge, as well as the choice of Tan Sri Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin as Court of Appeal President, the latter for the next two years.

Other critics against the unprecedented appointments include the Malaysian Bar, which has also claimed the choice of Raus and Zulkifli to be unconstitutional and warned that keeping the duo at the top may affect the reputation and credibility of the judiciary and possibly lead to another constitutional crisis.