FORMER diplomat Noor Farida Ariffin, one of the co-founder of G25, has passed away.

She was 76.

Several prominent figures and friends have taken to social media to express condolences over her passing.

Farida served as a magistrate and sessions court judge before being seconded to the foreign ministry.

She was the Malaysian ambassador to the Netherlands from 2000 to 2007 before being promoted to director-general of Wisma Putra’s research, treaties and international law department.

In 2011, she was appointed as a member of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ advisory group in two conventions.

After 36 years, Farida retired from the civil service in 2012.

Following her retirement, she assumed the role of head of the law reform committee at the National Council of Women’s Organisations.

She also served as a trustee for the Women’s Aid Organisation and was actively engaged in advocating women’s rights issues in the country before her appointment as chairman of the Human Resources Development Fund in 2019.

The G25 group was named for its original 25 former high-ranking civil servants. – June 27, 2024.