New No. 1 judge appointed in KL

New No. 1 judge appointed in KL

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): A former journalist was appointed Malaysia's new top judge by a conference of state sultans Thursday, the national Bernama news agency reported.

Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah, 63, will become the Chief Justice of the Federal Court, Malaysia's highest court, Bernama cited a statement from the conference as saying.

It was not clear when the appointment takes effect. Mohamed Dzaiddin replaces Eusoff Chin, whose term was extended for six months in June amid a debate over whether he compromised his duties by taking a vacation with a high-profile lawyer.

Eusoff turned 65 this year, the compulsory age of retirement. Eusoff, who has been chief justice since September 1994, denied any wrongdoing.

His successor, Mohamed Dzaiddin, was a reporter with Malaysia's Malay Mail daily and became a High Court judge in 1982.