He was appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia) on 21 October 2008 after his predecessor, Abdul Hamid Mohamad, retired from office.
[4] Zaki, who was previously a practising lawyer, was directly appointed a Federal Court judge on 5 September 2007—a first in Malaysian judicial history.
[5] His appointment as Federal Court judge as well as subsequent promotions has sparked concern by various segment of the public due to his close ties with UMNO.
Recently, it was revealed that a company linked to former chief justice Zaki Azmi and UMNO lawyer Hafarizam Harun may have been given the concession for the Kinrara-Damansara Exchange (Kidex), a road project awarded by the government.
Opposition lawmaker Lim Kit Siang as well as some lawyers alleged that the amendment was made for the sole benefit of Zaki Azmi.