NOOR FARIDA, FORMER AMBASSADOR WHO WEARS MANY HATS

KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 (Bernama) -- Former Malaysian Ambassador to the Netherlands Datuk Noor Farida Ariffin who passed away today at the age of 76 was a prominent figure in the legal and judiciary system and had represented Malaysia in three separate capacities at the peak of her career. 

The Perak-born was the Malaysian Ambassador to the Netherlands from 2000 to 2007 and the Malaysian Co-Agent for the Pulau Ligitan, Pulau Sipadan and Batu Puteh case before the International Court of Justice in Hague.

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In her career path, Noor Farida was also appointed as Malaysian permanent representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), based in The Hague. 

She had a long and distinguished career spanning 36 years in the Public Service before she retired in 2012.

Noor Farida who received her early education at the Methodist Girls School and the King Edward VII Secondary School in Taiping, Perak, joined the Judicial and Legal Service as a Legal Officer at the Attorney-General's Chambers in 1971. 

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She completed her legal studies at the Inns of Court in London and had served in various capacities including as a magistrate and senior assistant registrar in the High Courts of Kuala Lumpur and Penang between 1972 to 1976. 

Noor Farida was appointed as the Director of the Legal Aid Bureau from 1980 to 1983 and the Director of Women and Development Programme on secondment for two terms from 1988.

She subsequently assumed the position of the Head of Legal Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1993, the Deputy Head of the Advisory and International Law Division, Attorney-General's Chambers (1994) and the Secretary of Maritime and Regional Claims Issue Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1996-2000).

From 2007 to 2012, Noor Farida served as the Director-General of the Research, Treaties, and International Law Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

She was also actively involved in women organisations, holding several key positions such as Founding Member of the Women Lawyers Association (1972), Co-founder of Women Aid Organisation (1981) and President of the Women Lawyers Association (1982-1988).

In 1995, Noor Farida, who was a member of the former senior civil servant group G25 and former Chairman of Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), also received the Sri Nona Trophy - Sistem Televisyen Malaysia (STM) Bhd - for her efforts in boosting the status of women in the country.

-- BERNAMA