She takes over from Syed Zainol Anwar Syed Putra Jamalullail who stepped down from the post today, according to a statement from MAHB after the close of Bursa Malaysia’s trading hours today.

Zainun has held various positions in the legal and judicial service. She was appointed judicial commissioner in August 1996 and named a Federal Court judge on April 4, 2012, retiring on Oct 4 last year.

Last year, she was appointed to the advisory board of the United Nations Global Judicial Integrity Network.

She has presided over several landmark decisions.

She was one of the judges in the apex court which ruled that a 1988 amendment to the Federal Constitution to check the powers of the judiciary was contrary to the basic structure of the country’s supreme law.

Zainun, who delivered the landmark judgment, said the amendment undermined the principle of separation of powers as well as the judiciary’s independence.

Zainun also sat on the Federal Court bench which declared the unilateral conversion of M Indira Gandhi’s three children to Islam by her ex-husband without her consent and without the children’s presence unlawful.

She also chaired the Federal Court bench which last year declined to rule if the reappointment of two retired senior judges — the then chief justice Raus Sharif and Court of Appeal president Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin — was constitutional, saying the matter had become academic as the judges had resigned.

The MAHB board, in thanking Syed Zainol Anwar, said he had “brought the company to greater heights in achieving the financial performance, as well as quality of services and operations”.

It said he had been very committed in ensuring that corporate governance and integrity were observed throughout the organisation.

Earlier this month, Syed Zainol Anwar was appointed non-independent and non-executive chairman of the SP Setia Group. He is also the chairman of Nestle (Malaysia) Bhd and the chancellor of SEGi University.