“This will be my main agenda in line with the promises outlined in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) manifesto for the 15th general election (GE15).

“Of course, we will pay attention to matters we often hear about, in terms of healthcare infrastructure and services,” she told Bernama, adding that she wanted to put her experience as a medical practitioner to good use.

Speaking to Bernama after her swearing-in ceremony at Istana Negara today, Zaliha, 58, said she wanted to ensure that the health of Malaysians was at the highest level, especially as the nation is still facing challenges during this Covid-19 transition period.

Born in Johor, Zaliha attended Sultan Ibrahim Girls’ School and later accepted an offer to enter a boarding school at the Kota Bharu Mara Junior Science College.

The excellent results obtained by the eldest of eight siblings for her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) qualified her for studies in the field of medicine.

Although various offers were received to continue her studies abroad, she chose to continue her studies locally at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and graduated with a Doctor of Medicine.

She contested the Sekijang parliamentary seat in GE15 and won with a majority of 1,734 votes.