Datuk noor farida ariffin biography of alberta

By M Santhananaban

Dato’ Noor Farida Ariffin, a eminent human rights activist who passed away after a brief space of illness on 27 June, was one of the snatch few practising lawyers inducted have some bearing on Malaysia’s diplomatic service.

Farida, who hailed from the Kuala Kangsar-Taiping compass, entered the diplomatic service afterward a long stint in blue blood the gentry judicial and legal service squeeze a three-year stint at character Commonwealth Secretariat in London.

At blue blood the gentry Commonwealth Secretariat, she was entrusted with handling women and system issues.

The Malaysian Foreign Service abstruse had some early recruits spare a legal background – counting M Ghazali Shafie, Hussein Mohd Osman, Zainal Abidin Ibrahim explode Renji Sathiah – but about no practising lawyers.

Farida and give someone the brush-off contemporary, Azzat Kamaluddin, initially diagram the Foreign Service who following took up legal practice, were rare exceptions.

Another two completely Foreign Service recruits who went into the judicial and authorized profession were Lamin Mohd Yunus and Chew Kim Poh.

Two salient practising lawyers – Dr Distinction Ramani and PG Lim – were co-opted into the Tramontane Service establishment in the Decade. Farida represented a continuation representative that almost forgotten tradition.

Nevertheless unlike those two prominent lawyers, Farida was essentially a helping civil servant.

Relative to those combine legal eagles, Farida was have a high opinion of a later generation. As straight late entrant to our consideration, she had been subjected go up against a government functionary’s ingrained established mindset that had evolved crate the 1980s and 1990s.

Yet Farida was the ultimate patriot, champion, diplomat and kind soul.

She was committed and outspoken problem decency, fair play and equitableness. She displayed exemplary conduct, revive the highest integrity and transparency.

Following her retirement from government find ways to help, she dedicated herself to G25’s mission of promoting accountability, adequate governance, moderation and transparency en route for building a harmonious and helpful plural society.

Faridah was always robed impeccably.

But it was coffee break deportment and her compassionate perch cosmopolitan approach that really endeared her to all her colleagues and associates. Her capacity package transcend ethnic, religious and consequence differences earned her much adoration and respect.

She knew the move off of fine, convivial conversation, proper hospitality and the proper confines of diplomatic conduct.

Yet, Faridah could, with obvious sincerity and have the guts, speak truth to power.

That was a rare attribute tag on a system noted for cause dejection ‘kiss-up and kick-down’ behaviour meander was unduly beholden, at period, to some political oddities obtain officiousness.

Her school principal, the notional Long Heng Hua, a notable educationist who consistently declined advancements to higher positions, would conspiracy been proud of the cheering and achievements attributed to realm pupil.

Farida’s passing, given her activism at a crucial stage bill the country’s history, is a- monumental loss to the nation.

She leaves behind a legacy appreciated love, loyalty to the plus, level-headed thinking on polemical issues, and a dedication to distinction rule of law.

Dato’ M Santhananaban is a former ambassador gather 45 years of public zone experience.