KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition leader Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has submitted a motion to the Dewan Rakyat seeking a debate on the government’s widely criticised decision to extend Chief Justice Md Raus Sharif’s tenure.

It is understood the motion, handed to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia’s office at 8.40am today, was signed by 60 opposition MPs.

The motion seeks to urge the federal government to review the extension of Raus’ term.

Raus took his oath last Saturday as Chief Justice for another three years after retiring from the post a day earlier. He was appointed as an “additional judge” to the Federal Court to enable his service as Chief Justice to be extended.

His appointment met with protests from the legal fraternity and opposition politicians, who said no Federal Court judge could remain in his administrative post after reaching 66 years and six months of age.

Wan Azizah, in her motion, also said Raus’ appointment was in clear breach of the Federal Constitution and affected the judiciary’s integrity and independence.

“Article 122 (1A) which allows the appointment of additional judges did not provide power to enable the additional judge to continue serving as Chief Justice under Article 122B (1).

“The content of Article 122B (1) of the Federal Constitution clearly indicates that the Chief Justice and the ‘additional judge’ must be different people, and not the same person,” she said.