Khariyah is an Assistant Professor at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), having joined the institution in March 2024. Prior to joining IIUM, she was in private practice for more than 12 years upon her admission to the Malaysian Bar in 2001. Her specialisation was in construction disputes, litigation, and arbitration.

Her key client portfolios throughout her stint in legal practice include Petronas and other KLCC Group of Companies, Putrajaya Holdings, TNB, Telekom, Ekovest Berhad, Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad, Kuala Lumpur Sentral Sdn Bhd, Petra Resources Sdn Bhd (which provides oil-field services), Seoul-based company Ssangyong Engineering & Construction Co Ltd and other clients from Japan and Dubai, to name a few.

She obtained a Master's degree in Comparative Laws from the International Islamic University of Malaysia in 2013. Driven by her keen interest in construction law, in 2018, she pursued her doctoral studies with her thesis titled 'Sustainable Design and Construction Compliant Standard Form of Contract for Green Building Projects in Malaysia'. She explored sustainability issues in building design, construction practices, and innovations in construction. Her research led to a specific model of a standard form of contract to be introduced, which addresses the underlying issue of sustainability in construction design and practices, bridging the legal aspects with the industry's current trends and innovations.

She passed her Ph.D. viva voce with no corrections, and her thesis has also been nominated for the Best Thesis Award.

She is now actively publishing her research findings in academic journals and presenting them at local and international conferences. In February 2025, she served as one of the resolution drafters for the ASEAN Conference on Women in Academic Leadership (ACWAL), held in conjunction with the ASEAN Summits 2025. The appointment was made by the Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT), Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE). She is currently serving in the Editorial Committee of the IIUM Law Journal. 

2023

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) (Construction Law)

Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA)

2013

Master of Comparative Laws

International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)

2001

LL.B (Hons)

International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)

Messrs Hisham, Sobri & Kadir (2022 - 2024)

Messrs Zul Rafique & Partners (2001 - 2011)

Senior Legal Assistant

Messrs Zul Rafique & Partners (2001)

Pupil in Chamber

AREAS OF PRACTICE: - 

CONSTRUCTION CLAIMS AND DISPUTES: Claims for payment under interim certificates, variation claims and valuation inolving the express rail link project; delay and extension of time assessment involving a major hospital project; defective works; calling on performance bond issues; rights and duties of the parties to the contract as well as the professionals appointed for the management of the contract; disputes on project management; issues on suspension of works and termination of the contract; restitution claims; and disputes involving claims made by architects and designers.

ARBITRATION: Conducted arbitration proceedings under the Arbitration Act, the Rules of the Regional Centre of Arbitration (now known as the AIAC Arbitration Rules), and the UNCITRAL Rule of Arbitration and dealt with related applications, which include the arbitrator's appointment and application for setting aside/remission of the arbitrator's award.

LITIGATION: Among the notable engagements include issues relating to the application and interpretation of a "pay-when-paid clause" in a construction contract (Federal Court (leave application stage)) which altered the landscape of application of the clause in construction contracts and involved in defending suits emanated from the landslide in Bukit Antarabangsa.

Others include applications for setting aside winding-up petitions, applications under Sections 249 and 250 of the Companies Act; tenancy matters; recoveries of vacant possessions; insurance; land matters which involve issues of trespassing, wrongful and illegal occupation and construction; nuisance; negligence suit for loss of support against the neighbouring property; toll fraud in a PABX system and execution proceedings.

ADVISORY: On various construction issues and other legal issues, which include providing legal advice on import/export in Malaysia for an international client; on the provision of warranty for goods sold/supplied and the law under the Consumer Protection Act and the Sale of Goods Act; advised a newly set-up private hospital on the legal aspect of documents and data safekeeping and management; insurance issues; and various tenancy issues.

DRAFTING: Drafting/reviewing/advising on various construction agreements; supply contracts; tenancy agreements; a service agreement involving a foreign port authority with a Malaysian counterpart; and advising the national oil company in standardising their EPCC and EPCM contracts.

BEST THESIS AWARD NOMINATION

Doctor of Philosophy (Construction Law), 2023

Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA)

Sustainable Design and Construction Compliant Standard Form of Building Contract for Green Building Projects in Malaysia

BEST PAPER AWARD

International Conference on Law and Globalisation 2022 (ICLG 2022)

SDC-Compliant Standard Form of Building Contract: Integrating Sustainability into Building and Construction Practices

SILVER MEDAL

IIUM Research, Invention, and Innovation Exhibition 2013 (IRIIE 2013)

The Role of a Trustee in Sukuk: The Malaysian Perspective

The Role of Contract in Advancing ESG in Construction: A Proposed Model 'Green' Standard Form of Contract for Use in Green Building Projects in Malaysia

Mat Yaman, K., Abd Ghadas, Z.A. (2023). The Role of Contract in Advancing ESG in Construction: A Proposed Framework of “Green” Standard Form of Contract for Use in Green Building Projects in Malaysia. In Allam Hamdan & Esra Saleh Aldhaen (Eds.), Studies in Systems, Decision and Control: Artificial Intelligence and Transforming Digital Marketing (Vol. 487). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35828-9

Abstracting/Indexing: DBLP, Scimago, Scopus, WTI Frankfurt eG, zbMATH

Building Contract in the Fifth Industrial Revolution: Embedding Sustainable Design and Construction Practices

Mat Yaman, K., Abd Ghadas, Z.A. (2023). Building Contract in the Fifth Industrial Revolution: Embedding Sustainable Design and Construction Practices. In: Hamdan, A., Harraf, A., Buallay, A., Arora, P., Alsabatin, H. (eds) From Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0. Studies in Systems, Decision and Control, vol 470. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28314-7_80

Abstracting/Indexing: DBLP, Scimago, Scopus, WTI Frankfurt eG, zbMATH

“Greening” the Provisions of Construction Contracts: An Appraisal of the PWD, PAM, and CIDB Standard Forms

Mat Yaman K and Abd Ghadas ZA, ‘“Greening” the Provisions of Construction Contracts: An Appraisal of the PWD, PAM, and CIDB Standard Forms’ (2022) 17 Journal of Sustainability Science and Management 81 https://doi.org/10.46754/jssm.2022.08.005

Abstracting/Indexing: Web of Science, Scopus, Scimago, MyCite (MyJurnal), ASEAN Citation Index, Chemical Abstract, Google Scholar

Sustainable Construction in the Digital Age: Special Reference to Theories of Sustainability and SDGs in Green Building

Mat Yaman K and Abd Ghadas ZA, ‘Sustainable Construction in the Digital Age: Special Reference to Theories of Sustainability and SDGs in Green Building’ (2022) 30 IIUM Law Journal 35 https://doi.org/10.31436/iiumlj.v30is1

Abstracting/Indexing: Web of Science (ESCI), Malaysian Citation Centre, HeinOnline

An Overview of the Green Building Rating Systems in the Malaysian Construction Industry

Mat Yaman K and Abd Ghadas ZA, ‘An Overview of the Green Building Rating Systems in the Malaysian Construction Industry’ (2020) 24 International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation 12307 https://doi.org/10.37200/ijpr/v24i6/pr261211

Indexing: Scopus

The Role of a Trustee in Sukuk: The Malaysian Perspective

Hassan R and others, ‘The Role of a Trustee in Sukuk: The Malaysian Perspective’ (2012) 6 Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences 326 https://portal.issn.org/resource/ISSN/1991-8178

Indexing: Scopus

The Bottom-Up Approach to Sustainable Building Construction and the Employer’s Obligations: A Proposed Contractual Framework

29th International Sustainable Development Research Society (ISDRS) Conference

11th - 13th July 2023

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi, Malaysia

The Role of Contract in Advancing ESG in Construction: A Proposed Model ‘Green’ Standard Form of Contract for Use in Green Building Projects in Malaysia

6th Equal Opportunities Conference “Sustainable Leadership and Technology Innovation Management”

6th -8th February 2023, Gulf Hotel, Manama Bahrain

SDC-Compliant Standard Form of Building Contract: Integrating Sustainability into Building and Construction Practices

International Conference on Law and Globalization 2022 (ICLG 2022)

11-12 December 2022, Terengganu, Malaysia

Building Contract in the Fifth Industrial Revolution: Embedding Sustainable Design and Construction Practices

The International Conference on Business and Technology (ICBT 2022)

12-13 November 2022, Istanbul, Turkey

Sustainable Development Normative Principles in Foro Domestico: A Force to be Reckoned With

Sustainable Development and Justice to Natural Resources Management Towards Disruptive Era 5.0 Among ASEAN, 2021

6 November 2021, Jambi, Indonesia

Sustainable Construction in the Digital Age: Special Reference to Theories of Sustainability and SDGS in Green Building

International Conference on Law and Globalization 2020 (ICLG 2020)

7-8 November 2020, Terengganu, Malaysia

An Overview of the Green Building Rating Systems in the Malaysian Construction Industry

International Conference on Law and Globalization 2019 (ICLG 2019)

28-29 July 2019, Terengganu, Malaysia

“Green Construction Contracts”; An Appraisal of the PWD, PAM and CIDB Standard Form Building Contracts

International Conference on Law and Globalization 2018 (ICLG 2018)

21-22 October 2018, Terengganu, Malaysia