He began his formal education at Kampung Astana Raja Primary School in Rembau and went on to complete his secondary education in Tunku Besar Secondary School in Tampin. He completed his STPM certificate in Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman (STAR), Ipoh, Perak.
He joined Legal and Judicial Services as a magistrate in 1976.
On 1 November 1994, he was made a Judicial Commissioner in the High Court at Kuala Lumpur. On 12 January 1996, he was appointed a Judge at the High Court of Malaya. Since then, he had served Shah Alam High Court, Muar High Court, Penang High Court and Kuala Lumpur High Court.
In 2017, his tenure as the Chief Justice of Malaysia was extended further.[4] The re-appointments of Md Raus and Zulkefli to their respective posts were controversial, as their terms were extended after they reached the mandatory retirement age of 66 years and six months.[5] Bar Council called the move "unconstitutional" and will cause "widespread and severe erosion of public confidence in the judiciary and its independence".[6]
Family
He is married to Toh Puan Salwany Mohamed Zamri and has two children.