The former chief judge of Malaya Zaharah Ibrahim has been appointed the chairperson of government-linked, public transport owner and operator Prasarana Group, effective today.

In a statement, Prasarana said Zaharah (photo) is filling the vacancy left by Khalid Abu Bakar who resigned on Aug 17 last year.

Born in Johor Bahru in 1952, Zaharah graduated with a honours degree in law from University Malaya and began serving in the judiciary and legal service from April 1977.

After her retirement from the service, she was appointed a judicial commissioner on Aug 1, 2004, and placed in the Civil Division of the Kuala Lumpur High Court. She was subsequently moved to the Criminal Division of the Shah Alam High Court (Oct 1, 2004 - July 27, 2006).

Zaharah was then appointed a High Court judge on July 28, 2006, and placed in the Criminal Division of the Shah Alam High Court and subsequently, at the Commercial Division, Kuala Lumpur High Court (Jan 1, 2009 - April 13, 2010).

She became an Appeals Court judge on April 14, 2010, and then a Federal Court judge effective Feb 16, 2015.

Zaharah was appointed Chief Judge of Malaya on July 17, 2018, and retired in May this year.

- Bernama