Mohd Na'im, first Sharia Chief Judge to be appointed Religious Affairs Minister

KUALA LUMPUR - Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar who has been entrusted to hold the Religious Affairs Minister portfolio, is the first Chief Syariah Judge to be appointed to a post in the country's Cabinet line-up.

Mohd Na'im, 55, who is the Syariah Judiciary Department (JKSM) director-general assumed the position effective today after taking the oath of office as Dewan Negara senator.

The Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur native, who is no stranger to law practitioners, was appointed as the Syariah Chief Judge and JKSM director-general on April 1, 2019.

He holds a degree in law from the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM), a master's law degree from the University of London and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Syariah from the University of Malaya, in addition to a diploma in Syariah law and practice as well as in Islamic administration and judiciary from IIUM.

Mohd Na'im started his career as a law lecturer at IIUM from 1990 to 1997 before practising as an advocate and solicitor from 1997 to 1998.

In 1998 he was appointed as the Petaling Jaya Syariah Court judge and in 2001 he became the Kuala Lumpur Syariah Court judge, a post he held until 2003.

While holding a position as JKSM's research officer (2003-2005), he was also lecturing at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and IIUM between 2003 and 2008.

He has also served as the Federal Territory Religious Department's senior syarie prosecutor; JKSM's Family Support Division deputy director and director of the division which he held for two years beginning in 2007.

Besides that, he was also a civil lawyer at Zulkifli, Yong, Azmi and Co law firm in 1988.

Mohd Na'im was also recognised internationally when he was appointed Visiting Fellow at Harvard Law School, Harvard University, United States from Feb 1-May 31, 2013.

He was also an Adjunct Professor at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM)'s Faculty of Law in 2012, in addition to serving as the president of the Association of Malaysian Syariah Officers (PPSM) for the 2010-2012 session and a consultant at the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development.

In 2015 he was a member of the Islamic Consultative Council Panel member and a committee member under the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) and sits on the advisory board for local Islamic banks and foreign banks as well as Takaful companies such as CIMB Islamic Bank, Salihin Trustee Bhd and American and British Investment Bank (Mauritius).-- BERNAMA