Chief Justice Eusoff Chin should not be given another six-month extension of his office unless he could fully clear himself of judicial impropriety raised by malaysiakini and other media reports, said an opposition leader today.

According to DAP chairman Lim Kit Siang, Eusoff's inability to clear the cloud over his 1994 New Zealand holiday with prominent lawyer V.K Lingam would be reason enough for his term as Chief Justice not be extended on his retirement on Monday.

Eusoff was to retire early this year, but his term as Chief Justice was extended for six months, which is due to end on June 19.

Malaysiakini yesterday reported that UK-based private eye Bowman Investigations has alleged that Eusoff and Lingam flew together with their families for their Christmas holiday in New Zealand ("[#1]Eusoff, Lingam face new allegations[/#]", June 14)

Copies of Eusoff's itinerary and Lingam's counterfoil air tickets, which Bowman's team of investigators said they obtained, allegedly show that both took the same flight from Singapore to Auckland, and within New Zealand.

This appears to contradict Eusoff's assertion last week that he coincidentally "bumped" into Lingam while holidaying in New Zealand.

Lingam represents tycoon Vincent Tan in a law suit against veteran journalist M.G.G Pillai, whose appeal in the Federal Court, the country's highest court, was heard by a three-member panel headed by Eusoff.

Pillai is still waiting for a decision two and a half years after his appeal against a RM2 million award to Tan for defamation was heard.

The Asian Wall Street Journal also reported yesterday that Eusoff and Lingam hired a pleasure boat together on Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown, New Zealand, during the controversial trip ("[#2]Both were on boat trip in NZ, says AWSJ[/#]", June 14).

The report, which quoted "people familiar with the trip", stated that Eusoff and Lingam rented a 13-metre catamaran for a cruise on the lake with their families on Dec 29, 1994.

A [#3]photo[/#] posted on the [#4]Internet[/#] since early 1988 shows members of Eusoff's and Lingam's families together on a boat.

Lim, who is former opposition leader, said that Eusoff must demonstrate his commitment to the principle of judicial accountability and integrity and cannot continue to keep silent on the allegations.

If uncontradicted, he said, it would mean that Eusoff had publicly told a lie about his New Zealand holiday.

Eusoff, who is in Kuantan to attend the annual Council of Judges conference, declined to answer questions posed by journalists upon his arrival yesterday.

"No comment...nothing to say," he said while walking to a waiting car.

Meanwhile, the man who sparked the row, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Rais Yatim said that the issue has been resolved.

He told Utusan Malaysia that the Cabinet had a discussion yesterday on the matter and agreed that there is no need for a tribunal to investigate the allegations against Eusoff.

"The issue should no longer be raised by any parties. The Cabinet has already discussed and resolved the matter. I gave my views and explanations on the issue in great detail," Rais was quoted as saying.

He also called on all parties not to politicise the issue.

Rais said in a radio interview in Australia last month that it is "improper" for a judge to be holidaying with a lawyer who appears in court cases before him ("[#5]Improper to holiday with lawyer[/#]", May 30)

On Tuesday, upon his arrival from his one-week working holiday in Japan, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad dismissed calls for a tribunal to probe Eusoff's alleged misconduct.

Nevertheless, the 9,000-member strong Bar Council said that it would proceed with its emergency general meeting next Friday to call for the suspension of Eusoff pending an independent investigation ("[#6]Bar to proceed despite threat of legal action[/#]", June 13).