Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi can kill two birds with one stone by recommending Federal Court's most senior judge, Siti Norma Yaakob, to fill the chief judge of Malaya post - to show that his commitment to the empowerment of women and reforms in the judiciary.

The post of chief judge of Malaya, along with chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak, is No 3 in the judicial hierarchy - the top two are the chief justice of Federal Court and president of Court of Appeal respectively.

The post has been vacant since the retirement of then chief judge of Malaya Haidar Mohamed Noor on Nov 8 last year.

Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang said during the parliamentary debate on the Constitution Amendment Bill 2004 that Siti Norma had been "bypassed thrice for promotion to the three highest judicial offices in the land".

"Siti Norma was elevated to the bench 21 years ago in April 1983, and was the first woman to be appointed to the Court of Appeal and Federal Court and staked a clear claim by her seniority and experience to all the three highest judicial posts ... when they became vacant in the past five years...," he lamented.

Appointing her to the No 3 judicial post would have marked a most remarkable breakthrough for women achievements in Malaysia, Lim said.

"Siti Norma is even more senior that the chief justice of Federal Court, Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, who was made a judge only in August 1990, and the president of the Court of Appeal, Abdul Malek Ahmad, who was appointed High Court judge in March 1992."

Time is running out

Time is running out for Siti Norma. At 64, she has no more than one year before she is due for retirement.

However, the Parliament is currently debating constitutional amendments, among others, to increase to raise the retirement age of judges from 65 to 66. If passed, this should give Siti Norma an additional year before retirement.

Lim urged the chief justice, Abdullah and the Conference of Rulers - the three parties directly involved in the decision-making process concerning senior judicial appointments - to give "fair consideration" to Siti Norma's promotion to chief justice of Malaya.

"If Siti Norma is to be bypassed once again from judicial promotion ... Parliament and the nation are entitled to an explanation as to the 'exceptional circumstances' whereby her seniority and experience had again and again been sidelined."

The 11,000-strong legal body, the Bar Council, has previously criticised the manner judges had been appointed and elevated over the past few years, which it said was not based on merit and seniority.