Datuk Ashfar was conferred the title of Panglima Jasa Negara (P.J.N.) by the thirteenth Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong in 2007 which carries the title of ‘Datuk’. Prior to this, he was bestowed the Dato’ Setia Negeri Sembilan (D.S.N.S.) which carries the title of ‘Dato’ and Pingat Jasa Kebaktian (P.J.K.) awarded by DYMM Yang di-Pertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan in 1997 and 1979 respectively.

Datuk Ashfar is a practicing lawyer, notary public and qualified corporate secretary. He received his Master of Laws (LLM) from the London School of Economics in 1987 and Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Buckingham, United Kingdom in 1986. He was President of the Malaysian Student Association at university and past Honorary Secretary of the London School of Economics Alumni.

He holds membership in various professional bodies, i.e. the Malaysian Bar, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (England), Institute of Approved Company Secretaries (IACS) and Malaysia Board of Technologists (MBOT). He is also a mediator with the Bar Council Malaysian Mediation Centre and a Fellow and internal auditor for the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Malaysia (CILTM) where he authored the new constitution of CILTM.

He was a Civil Law Procedure paper examiner for the Certificate in Legal Practice and former Vice President of the Council of Commissioner of Oaths Malaysia.
Datuk Ashfar has been actively involved in Malaysia’s logistics and transportation sector since 1972. He is the current President of the Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Association (PMBOA), a post helmed since 2004, as well as founder/director/Chairman of numerous transport companies and advisor to various transport associations. In 2017, Datuk Ashfar was awarded the ‘Transport Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award’ by CILTM.

At the Federal level, he has served under the Prime Minister’s Department as a member of the National Anti-Inflation Council, National Economic Council, Committee for the Improvement of Public Transport and Committee on Road Traffic Offences. He was also a member of the Technical Committee of SIRIM and Public Transport Advisory Committee to the Ministry of Entrepreneur and Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD).

He is currently Vice President of Majlis Datuk Dato’ Malaysia (MDDM) and internal auditor for Majlis Datuk Persekutuan Malaysia (MDPM). Previously, he was Vice President and Secretary-General of a political party, i.e. the People’s Progressive Party (MyPPP), where he authored the party’s new constitution.

He enjoys reading and travelling in his free time.