Staff Directory
Academic Qualification
- Ph.D. in Law - Doctor of Philosophy, University College London
- Master of Comparative Laws - Masters Degree, International Islamic University Malaysia
- Bachelor Degree in Laws - Bachelor Degree, Universiti Malaya (UM)
- Diploma in Shariah Law and Practice - Diploma, International Islamic University Malaysia
Zaleha Bt Kamaruddin (Prof. Dato' Sri Dr.)
Professor
IIUM KL Campus
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ISLAMIC THOUGHT AND CIVILISATION
drzaleha@iium.edu.my
1246
Expert Profile
Prof. Dato’ Sri Dr. Zaleha Kamarudin was appointed the first female rector of the International Islamic University Malaysia, in 2011 making her the first woman to head an Islamic university in the Muslim world. During her tenure as the Rector, she has successfully developed and completed five big projects based on PFI, which include: the completion of residential colleges accommodating 5,000 students, the first teaching hospital in Malaysia which is Shari’ah compliant located in Indera Mahkota campus, the university mosque in Kuantan, and two more campuses (i.e. Gambang campus for Centre for Foundation students and Pagoh campus for Kulliyyah of Languages and Management). Two buildings were also initiated and completed during her tenure at the Waqf Complex based on Waqf from the Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT) and the Ruler of Ajman. She is also the first woman to be appointed as a Shariah Appellate Court Judge (Terengganu) in Malaysia’s Shariah judicial history, in 2018. Prior to her appointment as the Rector of IIUM, she was on secondment as the Deputy Director-General of the Malaysian Institute of Islamic Understanding (IKIM). At the State level, she was appointed as a member of the Selangor Council of Religious Affairs (MAIS) for 10 years (2004 – 2014) and also a member of the Fatwa Committee for the State of Selangor. Recently, in 2020, she has been appointed as a member of the Religious Council of Pahang. She is the Deputy-Chair for the Board of Governors of University College Yayasan Pahang (UCYP) and also chairs the Yayasan Tabung Tuanku Chancellor of UCYP. At the Federal level, she was a member of the Technical Committee on Shariah and Civil Laws (2005-2018), Department of Islamic Religious Affairs, Prime Minister’s Department, where she was involved in drafting fourteen model laws. As an appointed member of the National Religious Council, she was appointed to chair the Panel on Current Issues on Women and Islam (PISWI) from 2010 until 2018. PISWI was sanctioned by the Council of Rulers as a think-tank with specific mandate in contemporary issues involving Islam, women and children’s rights. In 2017, she was also appointed as the Head, Law Cluster for the Islamic Consultative Council. Recently in 2019, she has been appointed as an exco member of Inns of Court, Malaysia. Internationally, she is recognized as a leading authority on Comparative Family Laws focusing on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and other relevant Hague Conventions applicable to family and children. Her research interest includes Private International Law with specific focus on cross-border children’s issues. Professor Zaleha was also invited by the Government of Canada (co-Chair of the Working Party on Mediation) in cooperation with the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference on Private International Law and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs to present keynote addresses on the Islamic perspectives on cross-border Parental Child Abduction in April 2014 at The Hague, November 2014 in Kuala Lumpur, June 2015 in Macau and June 2016 in Tokyo. She was also appointed as an Independent Expert by the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCLH) in Malta IV Conference in May 2016 and as a Resource Person in the Focus Group Discussion on ‘Compatibility of the Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (The 1980 Convention) to Islam and Indonesia National Law in November 2016 in Jakarta, Indonesia. She has also been appointed as expert witness on custody cases involving Malaysians in the Netherlands, Australia and the United Kingdom. Professor Zaleha has been invited as a keynote speaker in various conferences from the Far East to the West. In 2009, she was invited as a guest of Lord Daniel Brennan and spoke on “governance of Islamic Family Law” at a programme in the House of Lords, UK. She was also invited to deliver the prestigious 13th Al-Sanhuri Annual Lecture at Harvard Law School in 2012, where she spoke on the transformation of the Islamic legal system in the 21st century. In May 2012, she delivered a keynote speech at a High-Level Thematic Debate at the UN headquarters in New York. In March 2014, she underwent training in Geneva on procedures for preparation on claims to the Human Rights Council and attended Regular Sessions on observer status. In March 2019, she represented the OIC Women Consultative Council in a high-level panel discussion at the 63rd Commission on the Status of Women (CSW63) in New York. As a consultant trainer who believes in research-based contributions in women’s issues, Professor Zaleha has been actively involved in UN-Habitat training workshops all over the world. She is also engaged with the International Institute of Public Policy and Management (INPUMA), University of Malaya training programs where she is known as a champion of women rights through property rights. She is currently preparing a training module with her team based on her edited book entitled Approaches to Empowering Muslim Women through Property Rights. She is also a Deputy-Chair (Asia) in the OIC Women Advisory Council (2016-2020). In 2019, she was appointed as chair of working committee on promotion of the OIC Plan of Action on Advancement of Women (OPAAW). She spent her sabbatical leave in 2019 to focus on OPAAW and was appointed as part of the team to work on an OIC project to develop strategic plan for marriage and family institution. She is also actively involved in the drafting of the OIC Gender Policy. In 2005, she headed a major consultancy project on “Assessing Delays in Disposition of Matrimonial Cases in the Malaysian Shariah Courts” followed by “Assessing Delays in Implementation of Maintenance Orders in the Malaysian Shariah Courts”. These researches provided a strong basis for the setting up of the Family Support Authority in Malaysia. She has also collaborated with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development in 2008 on a major consultancy project entitled “Towards Achieving 30 Percent Women as Decision-Makers.” Her research served as an impetus for the historical appointment of women judges in the Shariah judiciary in Malaysia. In 2014, she was appointed by the Malaysian Government as a Lead Consultant to develop the Maqasid Shariah Index for Malaysia, and at the successful completion of the project, she was appointed in 2015 as the Deputy Chairman of the Governance of Maqasid Shariah Index Committee. Her expertise is also acknowledged by the International Consortium for Law and Religion Studies (ICLARS) based in Milan, Italy, by listing her in “Who’s Who” database in law and religion. Her experience as a member of the Board of Governors for the Asian Law Institute at the National University of Singapore (NUS), which was formed to facilitate collaboration and encourage excellence in research and teaching in Asian law (2005-2009), has assisted her network with all law schools in Asia. To date, she has published/edited twenty-five books, and more than one hundred articles in areas related to family law, children’s rights, and women’s rights. Professor Zaleha has served as the Chief Editor of IIUM Law Journal and Tafhim of IKIM. She is also a member of international advisory boards of several internationally refereed journals, including Islamic Studies of the Islamic Research Institute, Islamabad, Pakistan, Faculty of Business and Administration, International University of Sarajevo, Bosnia, University Sharif Ali, Brunei Darussalam and KADEM, Journal of Women Studies, Turkey. For the past twenty years, she is a member of the International Society for Family Law (ISFL) and International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN). In terms of corporate experience, in her capacity as the Rector of IIUM she was a member of the Board of Directors’ of IIUM Holdings Sdn. Bhd; Board of Directors, OUM & UNITEM Sdn Bhd; and Member, Board of Directors METEOR Sdn Bhd. She was also a member of Board of Trustees of the Malaysian Islamic Economic Development Foundation (YAPEIM), 2012 – 2017; Member, Board of Directors, Yayasan Pahang, 2014 – 2018; Member, Board of Directors, Maahad Tahfiz Negeri Pahang (MTNP), 2012 – 2015.
Area of Specialisation
- Social Science ~ Social Science ~ Law Enforcement ~ Other Law Enforcement n.e.c. - LAW ENFORCEMENT AND REFORM
- Social Science ~ Social Science ~ Law ~ Other Law n.e.c. - GENDER ISSUES
- Social Science ~ Social Science ~ Law ~ Family Law
Teaching Responsibilities
| COMPARATIVE FAMILY LAW | 2001/2002 2004/2005 2006/2007 2002/2003 2003/2004 1999/2000 |
| FAMILY LAW I | 1995/1996 1993/1994 2016/2017 2018/2019 |
| FAMILY LAW II | 1994/1995 1995/1996 1997/1998 2016/2017 |
| ISLAMIC FAMILY LAW | 2003/2004 |
| ISLAMIC FAMILY LAW 1 | 2003/2004 |
| ISLAMIC FAMILY LAW I | 2002/2003 2000/2001 2001/2002 |
| ISLAMIC FAMILY LAW II | 2003/2004 1999/2000 2000/2001 2001/2002 |
| JURISPRUDENCE II | 1993/1994 |
| LAW OF TORTS II | 1998/1999 |
| LAW RESEARCH METHODOLOGY | 2007/2008 2008/2009 2006/2007 2009/2010 |
| PROBATE AND THE LAW OF SUCCESSION I | 2000/2001 1999/2000 2002/2003 |
| RESEARCH METHODOLOGY | 2020/2021 |
| RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND THESIS WRITING | 2019/2020 |
| UNDANG-UNDANG KELUARGA | 1999/2000 2000/2001 |
Research Projects
Completed
| 2019 - 2020 | Preparation of OIC Strategy for Family and Marriage Institution Empowerment |
| 2017 - 2017 | Malaysia's Accession to the Hague Children's Conventions: The Feasibility Analysis |
| 2016 - 2017 | Indeks Syariah Malaysia 2017 |
| 2016 - 2017 | Defining the Concept of Civilization and Implication in International Affairs. |
| 2015 - 2016 | New Title: "Kedah Darul Aman: Umara' dan Ulama' Tonggak Kekuatan Ummah" Buku Tokoh-Tokoh Ulama' Kedah Darul Aman |
| 2014 - 2014 | Developing A Model of Maldives Islamic University and Strategic Plan |
| 2011 - 2012 | Islamic Family Law : Demystifying Shari'ah In The Protection Of Children ' Rights Volume III |
| 2009 - 2012 | The Conflicts of Child Custody in Malaysia: Sole Custody vs Joint Custody |
| 2009 - 2011 | A Voyage of Discovery from Common Law to Shariah and Beyond: Legal Education in Malaysia with Special Reference to AIKOL |
| 2008 - 2011 | Ahmad Ibrahim: His Thoughts and Contributions in Family Law in Malaysia. |
| 2008 - 2008 | Assessment of the Working Draft of the Haque Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance: Islamic Family Law as Practiced in Malaysia Perspective |
| 2008 - 2012 | Violence Against Women in the Muslim Communities: An Analysis |
| 2007 - 2008 | Insights into the Interrelationship and the Associated Tension between Syariah and Civil Family Law in Malaysia |
| 2007 - 2008 | Access to Justice: The Human Dignity of Muslim Women and Divorce in Malaysia |
| 2006 - 2006 | Violence against Women in Muslim Communities Socio-Legal Perspective (Part 1) New Title: Confronting Violence Againts Women in the Muslim Communities: Causes and Solutions |
| 2005 - 2011 | A Preliminary Study On Non-Custodial Father's Contact With Their Children After Divorce In Malaysia |
| 2004 - 2004 | Postgraduate Promotion and Admission Survey-Phase 1 |
On-Going
| 2020 - Present | Exploring the Concepts and Development of Gender Equity vs Gender Equality in the 21st Century: Islamic Worldview |
| 2014 - Present | Pembangunan Pelaksanaan Indeks Syariah Dalam Pentadbiran Negara |
| 2013 - Present | IIUM New Year Address : Strategic Focus Areas for 2014 |
| 2013 - Present | IIUM New Year Address 2014 : Achievements for the Year 2013 |
| 2013 - Present | Empowering Muslim Women Through Property Rights |
| 2013 - Present | The Multidimensional Role of Fatwa and the Legal Systems of Modern Muslim State |
| 2013 - Present | The Formulation of an Online Dispute Management Framework and the Implementation of E-family Expert Portal in Malaysia |
| 2013 - Present | IIUM New Year Address : The 2013 Achiements and Strategic Focus Areas for 2014 |
| 2009 - Present | Family Law and Ethics Unit (FAME) |
| 2009 - Present | Quranic Guidance for Good Governance Unit (QGGGR) |
| 2008 - Present | International Law and Maritime Affairs Research Unit (ILMA) |
| 2007 - Present | Property Law Research Unit (PLRU) |
Award & Recognition
| 06 Feb, 2017 | Outstanding Contribution to the Promotion of Higher Education in the Islamic World Award - Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) | International |
| 06 Jun, 2016 | Life Time Achievement Award Recognition - Fatih University | International |
| 06 Nov, 2015 | Conferment of Honorary Doctorate in Law (Honoris Causa) - University of East London | International |
| 06 Jun, 2013 | Jewels of Muslim World Award - 4th OIC World Biz | International |
| 06 Jun, 2012 | Best Mother's Award - Institute of Ayesha Siddeeqa | International |
| 24 Oct, 2011 | Darjah Kebesaran Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang - Kerajaan Negeri Pahang | State |
| 22 Feb, 2004 | Quality Research Award (Kulliyyah) - International Islamic University Malaysia | Kulliyyah |
| 04 Mar, 2003 | Excellent Researcher Award - International Islamic University Malaysia | Kulliyyah |
| 16 Mar, 2002 | Excellent Researcher Award - International Islamic University Malaysia | Kulliyyah |
Publications
Article
Conference or Workshop Item
| 2019 | What women should know about OPAAW. In: Ally for Future 2019, |
| 2019 | Women security and global challenges: empowering women through legal framework. In: International Conference on Women Security And Global Challenges (ICWSGC2019), |
| 2016 | External Constraints of Waqf in Non-Muslim Countries. In: 5th International Awqaf Magazine Conference, |
| 2015 | Examining the policy of mandatory premartial HIV screening programme for Muslims in Malaysia. In: 4th International Conference on Law & Society (ICLAS IV) 2015 , |
| 2015 | Prevention of illegal marriages: a maqasid al-Shari'ah perspective. In: International Conference on Maqasid Al-Shari'ah in Public Policy and Governance, |
| 2011 | Endo sensor bacterial endotoxin detector in liquid biological samples. In: 2nd International Conference on Biotechnology Engineering (ICBioE 2011), |
| 2011 | Shaping Islamic moderation in Malaysia: why women's role is important? . In: International Seminar on Islamic Moderation and Its Role in Reform and Development, |
| 2011 | Speaker on " 5 characteristics of excellent Muslims women" (5 ciri wanita Islam cemerlang). In: Women Excellent Seminar, |
| 2010 | Convention on the service abroad of judicial and extrajudicial documents in civil and commercial matters: Shari'ah perspective . In: Seminar on the Harmonizationof Syariah and Civil Law in Malaysia, |
| 2010 | Dysfunctional families and crime: righting wrongs . In: International conference on the Family Institution in the 21st Century: Ideals and Realities, |
| 2010 | Muslim women in contemporary societies: realities and opportunities. In: IIUM Research, Innovation & Invention Exhibition (IRIIE 2010), |
| 2010 | Qur'anic governance : family vs state. In: Conference on Law, Religion and Governance in Southeast Asia, |
| 2009 | Living in hell - domestic violence against women in Muslim minorities communities in the US and UK: comparative analysis . In: International Conference on Jurisprudence of Minorities in the light of the higher objective of Islamic law (Maqasid al-Shari'ah): identity and integriti, |
Book
| 2019 | Indeks Syariah Malaysia aspek perundangan. IIUM Press, International Islamic University Malaysia, ISBN: 978-967-418-779-8 |
| 2018 | Malaysia - Family and succession law. Wolters Kluwer, ISBN: 9789065448880 |
| 2016 | Muslim women promoting peace. IIUM Press, International Islamic University Malaysia, ISBN: 978-967-418-449-0 |
| 2013 | IIUM: The premier global Islamic university. IIUM Press, ISBN: 978-967-418-270-0 |
| 2011 | Islamic family law : demystifying shari'ah in the protection of children's right Volume III.. IIUM Press, ISBN: 9789674180263 |
| 2011 | Legal education in Malaysia. IIUM Press, ISBN: 9789674181260 |
| 2009 | Keluarga syurga : wanita dan undang-undang. Blue-T Publications Sdn. Bhd., ISBN: 9789675401367 |
| 2009 | Muslim women in contemporary societies : reality and opportunities . IIUM Press, ISBN: 978-983.3855-99-5 |
| 2008 | International encyclopaedia of law: family and succession law. Kluwer Law International, ISBN: 978-90-654-4945-0 |
| 2006 | Malaysian family laws : an annotated bibliography (1933-2000). Research Centre, IIUM , ISBN: 983-2957-96-6 |
| 2005 | Divorce laws in Malaysia. Malayan Law Journal Sdn Bhd, ISBN: 9679626334 |
| 2004 | Islamic family law: new challenges in the 21st century. Research Centre, International Islamic University Malaysia, ISBN: 9839727982 |
| 2003 | Sosial issues in Malaysia : muslim women's perspectives (work, law, politics and education). Ilmiah Publishers, ISBN: 983-2571-22-7 |
| 2002 | Kamus istilah undang-undang keluarga Islam. Zebra Editions, ISBN: 983-2617-00-6 |
| 2001 | Islamic family law issues 2000. IIUM Press, International Islamic University Malaysia, ISBN: 983-9727-19-2 |
| 1998 | Introduction to divorce laws in Malaysia. Cooperative Limited, International Islamic University Malaysia, ISBN: 983-2051-00-2 |
| 1997 | Isu-isu kekeluargaan dan undang-undang . Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM), ISBN: |
| 1995 | Women's issues : women's perspectives . Women's Affairs Secretariat (WAFA), ISBN: 983-9727-01-X |
| 1988 | Strict liability in criminal law : a comparative approach. Nurin Enterprise, ISBN: |