Noor Farida, former ambassador who wore many hats

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Malaysian Ambassador to the Netherlands Datuk Noor Farida Ariffin, who passed away on Thursday (June 27) at the age of 76, was a prominent figure in the legal and judiciary system. She represented Malaysia in three separate capacities at the peak of her career.

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

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

She had a long and illustrious career spanning 36 years in public service before retiring in 2012.

Noor Farida received her early education at the Methodist Girls School and the King Edward VII Secondary School in Taiping, Perak. She then completed her legal studies at the Inns of Court in London and joined the Judicial and Legal Service as a Legal Officer at the Attorney-General’s Chambers in 1971.

She served in various capacities, including as a magistrate and senior assistant registrar in the High Courts of Kuala Lumpur and Penang between 1972 and 1976.

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

In 1993, she became the Head of the Legal Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She later served as the Deputy Head of the Advisory and International Law Division at the Attorney-General’s Chambers in 1994 and the Secretary of the Maritime and Regional Claims Issue Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1996 to 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’s organisations, holding several key positions, such as Founding Member of the Women Lawyers Association in 1972, Co-founder of the Women’s Aid Organisation in 1981, and President of the Women Lawyers Association from 1982 to 1988.

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