It is "shameful and irresponsible" for Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to recommend the extension of Chief Justice Eusoff Chin's term of service to the Agong, said Parti Rakyat Malaysia president Syed Husin Ali.

Syed Husin is responding to Mahathir's comment yesterday that Eusoff's term of service will be extended to ensure "everything is in place before there is any change". Eusoff will reach the mandatory retirement age of 65 on Tuesday.

According to the Federal Constitution, the term of Chief Justice, the highest position in the judiciary, can be extended for not more than six months from the date of compulsory retirement upon approval by the King.

Syed Husin queried as to why Eusoff needs more time to put things in order.

"His date of retirement has long been known. Why have things not been put to order before that?" he asked.

He said that the Agong, instead of approving Eusoff's extension of service, should set up a commission or tribunal to investigate the controversial holiday which Eusoff allegedly took with prominent lawyer V.K Lingam in New Zealand in 1994.

Malaysiakini reported on Wednesday that UK-based private eye Bowman Investigations has alleged that Eusoff and Lingam flew together with their families for their Christmas holiday six years ago.

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.

"Eusoff has chosen not to give any clarifications over the allegations provided by malaysiakini," lamented Syed Husin.

With the six-month extension, Eusoff is likely to head a panel in the Federal Court in hearing the appeals of sacked deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar is presently appealing to the Federal Court against the six-year jail sentence on corruption charges. He is also appealing to the country's highest court to reverse the High Court decision to set aside Mahathir's subpoena to appear as a witness in Anwar's sodomy trial.

Meanwhile, Utusan Malaysia reported today that a Cabinet reshuffle to be announced soon will see the return of a Law Ministry with its minister also appointed as Attorney-General. The minister in charge of law is Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Rais Yatim.

It quoted a source who said that the current attorney general, Mohtar Abdullah, will be promoted to a higher position in the judiciary. It has been long speculated that Mohtar would replace Eusoff as Chief Justice.