Izahar Izham

Izahar is a Partner and Head of the Government Advisory practice group at Zaid Ibrahim & Co.

His practice focuses in the area of regulatory reform. This includes advising Federal and State Governments including Ministries, regulators, and statutory bodies on the ‘end-to-end’ law reform spectrum ranging from regulatory mapping, undertaking feasibility studies, conducting Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA), assisting in the drafting of primary and subsidiary legislations, and implementing regulatory frameworks.

Specifically in relation to RIA, Izahar has been involved in all stages of the RIA process for both Malaysia Productivity Corporation and regulators. For Malaysia Productivity Corporation, Izahar has reviewed and assessed Regulatory Notification Forms and Regulatory Impact Statements, conducted RIA training to Ministry and Agencies, and been involved in reviewing the RIA related documentation including among others the National Policy on Good Regulatory Practice (“NPGRP”), the Best Practice Regulation Handbook 2.0 and the revised Guideline on Public Consultation Procedures. For Regulators, Izahar has acted as a RIA consultant in undertaking RIA and on request conducted training on RIA.

He has also been involved in post-law reform work through his experience in compliance and governance with legal awareness initiatives, advising on regulatory compliance, developing legal audit programmes, and advising on rationalization, privatization, and corporatization exercises.

At the same time, his practice includes providing strategic and legal support to private sector clients interested in engaging the Government in policy development and reform. This includes industry proposals to amend or introduce new legislation as well as complex and novel regulatory applications and approvals.

Izahar is a co-author for “Corporate Governance and Ethics in Malaysia”, published by Thomson Reuters which provides an overview of general principles relating to corporate governance and ethics in Malaysia both from the public and private sector perspective.

Izahar joined Zaid Ibrahim & Co as a Senior Associate in 2014 and became a Partner in 2018.  Prior to joining the firm, Izahar practiced at an established law firm in Kuala Lumpur in the areas of corporate commercial, and energy & utilities.

• General business law
• Regulatory
• Restructuring and insolvency

• Government and public policy

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) (Honours), University of Tasmania, Australia (2008)
• Master of Laws (LLM) (Distinction), University of Melbourne, Australia (2010)
• Foundations in Public Participation, University of Technology Sydney, Australia (2018)
• Certificate in Legal Practice, Legal Profession Qualifying Board
   

• Certified Trainer for Regulatory Impact Analysis, Malaysia Productivity Corporation (2018)
• Applied Regulatory Impact Assessment Training for Professionals, Jacobs Cordova & Associates, Luiss Guido Carli University and the Luiss School of Government, Rome, Italy (2019)
• Training for Behavioral Insight, BIT Singapore (2021)

• Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya (2012)