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The focus today is who should succeed Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, whose tenure expired yesterday as the country's Chief Justice as he turned 66, the mandatory retirement age for judges as stated in the Federal Constitution.

Singapore Straits Times said Ahmad Fairuz has retired with the successor unnamed.

"The government's prolonged delay in making a decision on the succession to the top judicial post underlines the dilemma that it is in," the paper said today. "Its next move is being closely watched as a signal of its political will to institute reforms."

So, who should he be the next CJ?

Will it be Justice Abdul Hamid bin Haji Mohamad, who was recently promoted on September 5 as the President of the Court of Appeal, the No. 2 in Malaysia's Judiciary?

Under the Courts of Judicature Act 1964, the President of the Court of Appeal will assume the functions and role of the chief justice.

However, the legal circle and the Parliament were rumbling with the possibility that the CJ's post may go to somebody else, who went straight to be a Federal Court judge only a month ago, bypassing the conventional process of having to first serve as a presiding judge in the High Court and the Court of Appeal?

In other words, is the new CJ going to be the same man who had served as a lawyer at various capacities -- as the legal advisor and official position-bearer for Umno, and as a director in Berjaya-related company? (See Berjaya Land Berhad Annual Report and Bursa Malaysia filing.)

Is the man, now aged 62, is promoted twice in two months -- from commoner to Federal Court judge in September, and to to CJ in November -- Malaysia is going to be rosy for the next three years.

Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang sounded the alarm as early as October 27.

Screenshots started the digital trail as early as August 23: Beneath the smoke-screen ( 6 ): The PM's Chief Judge.