Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced two top judicial appointments in one day - the Court of Appeal President and Chief Judge of Malaya.

After almost eight months of being left vacant, the post of the Chief Judge of Malaya - the judiciary No 3 - was filled today with the appointment of Federal Court judge Alauddin Mohd Sheriff.

Also promoted was another Federal Court judge Abdul Hamid Mohamad as the Court of Appeal president.

A two-paragraph statement issued by the PM's office said the appointments would take effect on a date to be determined soon.

Both Abdul Hamid and Alauddin are the second and third most senior judges in the judiciary after Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim.

The 63-year-old Abdul Hamid ( right ) as the president of the Court of Appeal will be in charge of the appellate court and its 22 judges. The post has been left vacant since the death Abdul Malek Ahmad three months ago.

As for Alauddin ( left ), who just turned 60 this month, he would be in charge of all the 30 High Courts in Peninsula Malaysia. Justice Richard Malanjum is in charge of the remaining eight High Courts in Sabah and Sarawak.

Until the appointment today, Kedah-born Alauddin was the acting Court of Appeal president.

As the Chief Judge of Malaya, he would be stepping into the post previously held by justice Siti Norma Yaakob who retired in January.

Period of uncertainty

Since January, CJ Ahmad Fairuz has been assuming the post as the acting Chief Judge of Malaya, causing some concern among the members of the Malaysian Bar and the civil society.

The fear was that he would be burdened with too many responsibilities in handling both the portfolio. As Chief Justice, Ahmad Fairuz is not only responsible for nine of Federal Court judges as well as the entire judiciary.

The appointments today bring an end to a period of uncertainty in the judiciary, especially after various complaints on the manner junior judges are appointed to senior positions by overtaking other more competent judges.

Early this month, Singapore Straits Times reported that the Conference of Rulers rejected the PM's nominated candidate to fill the post of Chief Judge of Malaya. Abdullah denied this yesterday.

This particular candidate is believed to be a junior ranking Federal Court judge. It appears that Abdullah has given in to critics as the two promoted today are both veteran judges.

And last week, the New Straits Times quoted judiciary sources as saying that a replacement candidate was given the green light by the sultans.

Ahmad Fairuz himself would be retiring in October.

Yesterday he was given the order by the prime minister to answer allegations that his judges were 'lazy' in writing judgments, resulting in uncertainties for death row convicts.

Lina Joy case

Abdul Hamid, elevated to Federal Court on Aug 1, 2003, graduated from the University of Singapore Law School in 1969.

Born in Kepala Batas, Penang, he has served as a magistrate, Sessions Court judge, the deputy registrar of High Court Malaya, state legal adviser in Kelantan and Perak, the senior federal counsel of the Inland Revenue Department and as the head of prosecution at the Attorney General's Chambers.

He was also in the panel of judges of the Federal Court who allowed the appeal by former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim against his six years jail sentence for sodomy.

As for Alauddin, he was appointed as a High Court judge in August 1992. He was then elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2001 and finally to the Federal Court in July 2004.

In his judiciary career, he has been, among others, a magistrate in Bukit Mertajam in 1971 and the state legal adviser in Johor.

His most recent high-profile case was the Lina Joy conversion case where he formed the majority decision in dismissing her appeal to convert out of Islam. His judgment was concurred by CJ Ahmad Fairuz.