A government-owned company has been taken to task over its advertisement which is claimed to be discriminatory in terms of gender and religion.

PSDC International Sdn Bhd called for applications from 'Malaysian Muslim male below the age of 45' in its advertisement for to fill the post of chief executive officer.

PSDC, or Professional Services Development Corporation, is a works ministry subsidiary company. The advertisement was posted on leading job search site, JobStreet.com.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng revealed the details at a press conference held in the Parliament building today.

"We have no objection to the fact that the person should be below 45, but to say that he must be a 'Muslim male' does not just discriminate against religion but also gender," he said, calling for an explanation from the ministry concerned.

Lim said he did not object to other requirements such as a strong command of English and knowledge of Arabic as skills required of applicants.

Last month, Deputy Prime Minster Najib Abdul Razak had called for an end to racial discrimination by employers by highlighting proficiency in Mandarin in personnel recruitment.

Lim then accused Najib of racial discrimination for not criticising firms that only hire those who speak English.