PETALING JAYA: Federal Court judge Datuk Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat has been appointed as the Chief Justice, the first woman to take on the role.
The Prime Minister's Office said that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the advice of the Prime Minister and after consulting the Conference of Rulers agreed to the appointment of Tengku Maimun as the Chief Justice.
The appointment is effective Thursday (May 2), it said in a statement.
The Prime Minister's Office also expressed appreciation and thanked Tan Sri Richard Malanjum for his service as previous Chief Justice.
Malanjum retired after serving 27 years in the judiciary.
Malanjum, the first Sabahan to hold the judiciary's top post, served as Chief Justice for nine months and 12 years as the Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak.
He attained his constitutional retirement age of 66 years in October last year and was given a six-month extension which ended in April.
Tengku Maimun, a Universiti Malaya graduate, who will turn 60 in July, began her career as a legal officer in the South Kelantan Development Board in 1982, according to Bernama.
In 1984, she became legal officer in the Seremban Municipal Council for two years before joining the Attorney General's Chambers in the Drafting Division.
Born in Kota Baru, Kelantan, Tengku Maimun also held several posts including magistrate, Sessions Court judge, federal counsel and senior assistant registrar as well as special officer to former Chief Justices Tun Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah and Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim.
She was the Chief Registrar of the Federal Court in 2005.
Tengku Maimun was appointed judicial commissioner in 2006 and confirmed as High Court judge the following year.
She was elevated to Court of Appeal judge in 2013 and subsequently appointed as Federal Court judge in November last year.