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By Carol Murugiah

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23: The Bar Council is questioning the delay in appointing the new Chief Judge of Malaya (CJM), a position that fell vacant when Tan Sri Haidar Mohd Noor retired on Nov 8.

Council chairman Kuthubul Zaman Bukhari said a successor should have been appointed even before Haidar's mandatory retirement at the age of 65.

He said this was because the CJM had a "very heavy responsibility" in supervising more than 70 High Court judges.

"It is not good to have it vacant," Kuthubul said. "It is also not good to have an acting Chief Judge. We know the date of retirement in advance, so why can't we have a successor in place?" Speaking after the opening of the new Malaysian Bar Building by former chairman Raja Aziz Addruse at Lebuh Pasar Besar, here today, Kuthubul reiterated the Bar Council's stand that the most senior Federal Court judge be appointed to the vacant CJM post.

(This could mean either Datuk Siti Norma Yaakob or Datuk Pajan Singh Gill, both due to retire next year.) "This is based on the principle of the legal system," Kuthubul said. Asked if he thought the present retirement age for judges should be extended, Kuthubul said: "The Council's stand is that 65 is a good retirement age." On the Bar Council's proposal of a commission to oversee the appointment of judges, Kuthubul said the Government's response had been positive.

Raja Aziz, on his part, pointed out that there were other vacancies in the Federal Court and the Court of Appeal which had to be filled by the promotion of judges.

"The vacancies must be filled quickly, so that the confidence the public has in our judicial system will be restored," he said.

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