KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's first woman Chief Justice took her oath of office before the King on Monday (May 6).

Datuk Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, who will be 60 in July, was presented with the instrument of appointment by Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin at the national palace Istana Negara, Bernama news agency reported.

The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, de facto Law Minister Liew Vui Keong, Chief Judge of Malaya Zaharah Ibrahim, and Attorney-General Tommy Thomas.

Tengku Maimun was a former Federal Court judge.

She took over from Tan Sri Richard Malanjum, who retired on April 12.

Tengku Maimun is a graduate of Universiti Malaya and began her career as a legal officer of the Kelantan Selatan Development Authority in 1982, Bernama reported.

In 1984, she took up the appointment as legal officer at the Seremban Municipal Council for two years before joining the Drafting Division of the Attorney-General's Chamber.

Born in the Kelantan capital of Kota Baru, she has held several positions including as a magistrate, sessions court judge, federal counsel, senior assistant registrar and special officer to former Chief Justices Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah and Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim.