Jakim director-general Hakimah Mohd Yusoff said Na’im has a strong background and extensive experience in the administration of Islamic affairs, being a former chief judge of the shariah court and former director-general of the shariah judiciary department.

Hakimah said her department believed that Na’im’s appointment would support the amendments to the National Islamic Council regulations in March, one of which calls for a state ruler to head the council on a two-year rotation.

Na’im, 55, is the first former chief judge of the shariah court to be appointed to the Cabinet. He took office today, after being appointed to the Senate.

He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in law, a PhD in shariah law, as well as a diploma in Islamic administration and judiciary.

He began his career as a law lecturer at the International Islamic University of Malaysia from 1990 to 1997 before going into practice from 1997 to 1998.

He was then appointed as the Petaling Jaya shariah court judge and was Kuala Lumpur shariah court judge from 2001 to 2003. He has also been a senior shariah prosecutor.

He has also been in practice as a civil lawyer.

Nai’m was appointed a visiting fellow at the Harvard Law School, Harvard University, in 2013, and has been an adjunct professor at Universiti Teknologi Mara’s law faculty.

In 2015 he was a member of the Islamic Consultative Council panel, a committee member under the Malaysian Qualifications Agency, and is on the advisory board for local Islamic banks and foreign banks.