The original team that set up IMAN in 2015 are:

Tun Dato' Seri Utama Ahmad Fuzi bin Abdul Razak, In the beginning of IMAN, he steered the little outfit in its initial stages. He has a distinguished career as a diplomat and has sat on the boards of prominent international organisations, such as the World Islamic Economic Foundation. He joined the Malaysian Administrative and Diplomatic Service in 1972 as an assistant secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Throughout the years, he served as a diplomat in Moscow, The Hague, Canberra and Washington, D.C. He headed the Malaysian High Commission in Dhaka from 1992 to 1994. He served as Deputy Secretary-General from 1997 to 2001, as Secretary-General from 2001 to 2006, and as Ambassador-at-Large until 2009.

Altaf Deviyati Ismail is now with SUHAKAM, a national human rights institution in Malaysia. She has a background in international development and policy-making. After leading IMAN for three years, she is now part of the government's vehicle to ensure human rights and justice are upheld.

Badrul Hisham Ismail is an Atlantic Fellow and is now working from Kuala Lumpur. He joined IMAN Research upon graduation from the New School of New York, and specialises in urban studies. He also wears the hat of film director; his film, Maryam, Dari Pagi Ke Malam, has won international awards.

Dina Zaman with IMAN for now, but as Director, and Advisor-at-Large, Strategy and Partnerships. She has a long-standing public profile as a writer. She was a Nippon Foundation Asian Public Intellectual Fellow and a recipient of the Chevening Award from the British High Commission. Her book, Malayland, was published last year.

Dato Sri Kalimullah Masheerul Hassan began a career in journalism in 1979 and served in various local and foreign news organisations. He became a businessman in 1995 and has held key positions in various Malaysian listed corporations and government agencies and boards, including as chairman of the national news agency, Bernama, Group Editor-in-Chief and deputy chairman of then Malaysia's largest newspaper group, the New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd, the National Unity Advisory Panel, the Multimedia Development Corporation (MdEC), the National Information Technology Council, the Government-owned Tunku Abdul Rahman Foundation (YTAR) and various public-listed companies, including the TA group, MbF Group, FACB, TSH Ekowood.

Kalimullah is the co-founder of the ECM Libra Group and, together with his two partners, Dato Lim Kian Onn and Dato David Chua, founded the ECM Libra Foundation in 2004. He still chairs the foundation, which funds education programs for the underprivileged and underserved. To date, the founding partners have disbursed close to RM60 million for this purpose.

He has retired and resigned from all his corporate positions, focusing mainly on charity work through the ECM Libra. Foundation and the University Tunku Abdul Rahman Foundation, where he is a trustee.

Dr Nicholas Chan is with The Australian National University, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, ANU College of Asia and the Pacific. Nicholas's research interest lies in the intersection of religion and politics, with a specific focus on areas such as the politics of recognition-seeking, religion and social media, and the role of millenarian thinking in extremist politics. He was one of the earlier founders of IMAN but left to pursue an academic career, specialising in the study of religion and politics. He works on areas such as the politics of recognition-seeking, religion and social media, as well as the role of millenarian thinking in extremist politics. Today, he is part of IMAN's advisory board.

Dr Azmil Tayeb is with University Sains Malaysia. Azmil Tayeb is a political scientist specialising in political Islam, social movements and local government politics in Malaysia and Indonesia. He is the author of "Islamic Education in Indonesia and Malaysia: Shaping Minds, Saving Souls" (Routledge, 2018). He is also the co-editor of “Education and Power in Contemporary Southeast Asia” (Routledge, 2023). He is the Vice Chair for West Malaysia for Bersih, Assistant Secretary of Aliran, and a member of the Board of Experts for initiate.my.

Elina Noor is a Senior Fellow in the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where she focuses on developments in Southeast Asia, particularly the impact and implications of technology in reshaping power dynamics, governance, and nation-building in the region. Previously, Elina was director of political-security affairs and deputy director of the Washington, D.C. office at the Asia Society Policy Institute. Prior to that, Elina was an associate professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu. She spent most of her career at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia, where she most recently held the position of Director of Foreign Policy and Security Studies. Elina was also formerly with the Brookings Institution's Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World.

Kristina Rai is the Chief Operating Officer of the Asia School of Business Malaysia. She leads the administration, planning, and implementation of ASB's campus operations and services. Kristina also oversees ASB's HR, IT, marketing, and communications functions. Prior to joining ASB, Kristina spent 30 years in the Central Bank of Malaysia (Bank Negara Malaysia), where she led and managed diverse groups of teams in the areas of human resource development, strategy management, corporate planning, international relations policy and cooperation, and financial services negotiations for Malaysia's free trade agreements.

Aziff Azuddin is the Research Director of IMAN Research and a data analyst with over a decade of experience in media, public policy, and urban sociology. He has published journalistic and research work in various sectors, including urban development, cultural heritage, community, and the political economy of religion. In recent years, he has developed his research focus on youth and democracy, Islamist nationalism and right-wing politics, as well as Malaysian urban development. He is pursuing his PhD at the University of Nottingham Malaysia, where he studies the development of Muslim identities in urban spaces.

Nur Nadia Lukmanulhakim, or Nadia Lukman for short, is a doctoral candidate of University of Nottingham Malaysia. Nadia's doctoral dissertation is on memories of home and agency of second-generation Rohingya refugees in Malaysia, focusing on Rohingya refugees living in urban Kuala Lumpur and Selangor area. She is also an associate of North-South Initiative, a civil society organisation that focuses on the rights of migrant workers and refugees in Malaysia. Nadia represented Malaysian civil society organisations to the ASEAN Forum of Migrant Labour in 2024 in Laos. In 2023, she was a fellow of the CrossCulture Programme, spending three months at Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies (BICC). Nadia had previously worked with IMAN from 2019 to 2023, being involved in the Patani and Rohingya refugee research projects. Nadia's research is focused on home, memory and migration.

Syed Nizamuddin is the External Director of IMAN Research, a geopolitical analyst and public policy practitioner specialising in Malaysian federal-state relations, foreign policy, and Southeast Asian political dynamics. A former member of Parlimen Belia Malaysia (2014-2016), he co-founded MyDiplomacy, a youth-led initiative that organised policy dialogues, diplomatic simulations, and public education programmes to strengthen Malaysia's understanding of international affairs. He holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Malaya and an MSt in Diplomatic Studies from the University of Oxford, and brings first-hand experience in bilateral and multilateral engagement, having worked with APEC, the OECD, and several United Nations agencies. He has written on Malaysia's foreign policy and regional geopolitics for the South China Morning Post, New Straits Times, and The Bangkok Post. He brings experience in government relations and strategic intelligence, with research interests centred on statecraft, political identity, and the lived realities that shape Malaysia's place in the region.

Shalini Muniapan, is an accomplished Public Affairs and Government Relations specialist with a robust track record in strategic communications, stakeholder engagement, and regulatory navigation across Southeast Asia. With deep experience advising high-level stakeholders—including the Prime Minister's Office of Malaysia—she has consistently delivered impactful solutions in complex policy environments. Shalini's legal training (LLB Hons, Aberystwyth University; Certificate in Legal Practice, LPQB) complements her ability to interpret and influence policy landscapes. She has worked with ministries, global NGOs, and international institutions, offering strategic counsel rooted in data-driven analysis and local insights.

Shaleen Surendra is a researcher with experience in public affairs and communications. She has worked on projects related to Malaysian cinema, independent films, post-colonialism, identity, and the securitisation of migrants and refugees. She's passionate about cultural arts, theatre and enjoys writing fiction in her spare time.

Violet Lee Zi Yi . Coming from an IR background, Violet is keenly passionate about public policy and identity studies. She believes in grounding theory with hands-on experience to understand the communities better. Prior to joining IMAN, she worked at a think tank, a cultural company, and notably served under the current Prime Minister's Political Secretary. Growing up in Kedah, nature has always been close to her heart, leading her to take part in a two-month environmental project in Sri Lanka. Outside of work and studies, she enjoys solo travelling and diving!

Liang Hong's interests lie in political philosophy, geopolitics, and civic education. His work explores Malaysian society, politics, and public sentiment, and extends into civic diplomacy initiatives linking civic societies across Ukraine, Southeast Asia, and East Asia. He also creates YouTube content and draws on his background in political communication to make complex issues accessible to wider audiences.

Irdina Insyirah is a final-year Political Science student at the International Islamic University Malaysia, specializing in International Relations, with a deep passion for geopolitics. She has also been actively involved in various youth-empowerment projects and initiatives, especially those related to governance and political education. Outside of her academics and work, she enjoys doing art, which allows her to explore themes of identity and culture.

Elisa Shafiqah is a Malaysian peacebuilder who believes security isn't just about borders - it's about people and the systems that shape their safety. Working at the intersection of disarmament, climate-security, and maritime peace, she helps governments, NGOs and international bodies on policy, advocacy, and multilateral security frameworks under UNSCR 1325 & 2250. An alumna of the CTBTO Research Fellowship and the UNODA Youth Leader Fund, she holds a BA in International and Strategic Studies from Universiti Malaya. She has previously worked on high-level diplomacy with Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and tackled contemporary security threats with the Ministry of Defence, bridging policy with the realities on the ground. With experience in diplomacy, advocacy, and research, she is committed to building a security landscape where inclusion isn't an afterthought but the very foundation.

Huda Ramli is a researcher and advocate whose work focuses on reinstating the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda within the context of rising polarisation and identity politics in Malaysia. She explores how growing societal divides and the influence of Islamist narratives shape gender rights and human rights. Engaging with policymakers, grassroots actors, and human rights organisations, she works to promote social cohesion, prevent violent extremism, and ensure gender perspectives remain central to peace and security efforts. Huda is currently pursuing an MPhil in Malaysian Studies at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, where she researches the rise of Islamist anti-gender movements.

Dr Mahadir Ahmad

Clinical Psychology

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)

Dr Mahadir has a bachelor degree in psychology from UMS and master's degree in Clinical Psychology from UKM. He obtained his Post-graduate Diploma (Research Methods in Psychology) and PhD (Clinical Health Psychology) from the College of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom. His research interests include psychological intervention for stressful medical procedures, body & mind interaction, psycho-oncology, psychological medicine and parental stress in special children. He practices psychological assessment and intervention at Health Psychology Clinic, UKM. He developed psychological intervention modules for trauma in torture victims and parental stress management. He Jo also conducted community mental health screening.

Dr Siti Irma Fadhilah Binti Ismail

Clinical Psychology, Epidemiology & Population Health

Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)

As an academician and practitioner who is involved in service provision in the public and private health sectors, Dr Irma's areas of interest include mental health literacy, behaviour change, psychological intervention and psycho-social support; for victims of torture, people living in conflict areas, and vulnerable communities during crisis. Dr Irma is currently looking at resilience as a basis for countering violent extremism among youths, conducting empathy training at community levels, and understanding the relationships between the adversity of migration, mental health, wellbeing and public health challenges.

Dr Tan Kit-Aun

Developmental Psychopathology, Psychometrics

Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)

Dr. Tan Kit-Aun is a senior lecturer at the Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). He obtained his PhD from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. His research interests are defined by three lines of work. The first line focuses on scale development and validation of normative beliefs about violent extremism (NBVE) measures for use in Malaysian youths. The second line addresses the etiology of NBVE with a focus on the Dark Tetrad traits. The third line examines the use of cognitive behavioral modification strategies for the management of NBVE. Some of his previous awards include the Outstanding Reviewer Award from Personality and Individual Differences and the UPM Excellent Service Award (2015-2019).

Dr Mohd Al Adib Samuri

Islamic Law And Society

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)

Dr Mohd Al Adib is an associate professor at the Centre for Islamic Law, Faculty of Islamic Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). Having received his legal training at UKM, he presently teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses in comparative law subjects. Samuri has developed his research interests in Islamic law and society, Islam and human rights (particularly freedom of religion and minority group's religious rights), and children's rights. He has been involved in many research projects throughout his career, some of which he was the principal investigator.

Dr Faizal Musa (Faisal Tehrani)

Sociology, Human Rights And Diaspora Studies

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)

Faisal Tehrani is an essayist and novelist in Malaysia. Faisal has won numerous literary prizes and awards, including the National Art Award (Anugerah Seni Negara) in 2006. Faisal is often deemed as a controversial author for experimenting various forms and proposing alternative discourses in his works. Seven of Faisal's books had been banned by the previous Malaysian government and frequently targeted by religious extremists. Meanwhile ASEAN Literary Festival's official page, in 2017, named him as 'one of Malaysia's and Southeast Asia's important writers'. As an academic, Faisal or Mohd Faizal Musa is a Visiting Fellow at ISEAS-Yusuf Ishak, Singapore and Associate Fellow at Weatherhead Center, Harvard University, United States of America. Most of his works centre around human rights, Muslim trendsetters and alternative discourses.

Dr Amjad Rabi

Social Security Economist

Dr Amjad has vast experience across many countries at different stages of development and has recently been working as an independent consultant providing advisory services to national governments on reform of individual social security schemes as well as overall national systems. Dr Amjad has also provided coaching services and individualized learning to social security specialists across many countries. Prior to this, Dr Amjad also served in senior positions in the United Nations' country offices in Malaysia, Nepal, Zimbabwe, Egypt, and Argentina and Headquarter offices in New York and Geneva.

Dr Amjad is a visiting expert at the University of Malaya's Social Wellbeing Center, Malaysia, and has taught both graduate and undergraduate courses at Balsillie School of International Affairs, Canada, and Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, Canada, and Nottingham University, Malaysia campus.

Dr Hew Wai Weng

Anthropology And Political Science

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)

Hew Wai Weng is a research fellow at the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (IKMAS, UKM). His research interests include the intersections between ethnicity, religiosity, class and politics in Malaysia and Indonesia. He writes about Chinese Muslim identities, Hui migrations, political Islam, urban middle-class Muslim aspirations and their social media practices in Malaysia and Indonesia. He is the author of 'Chinese Ways of Being Muslim: Negotiating Ethnicity and Religiosity in Indonesia' (NIAS Press, 2018). As a visiting fellow at SEAP during 2023-2024, under the Fulbright Malaysia Scholar Program, Wai Weng will research political Islam and Malay Muslim majoritarianism in contemporary Malaysia by looking at various key actors and their narratives - ranging from politicians, activists, and preachers to influencers. He is also interested in examining how and under what conditions pious middle-class Muslims appropriate urban places to meet religious needs and pursue middle-class lifestyles in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Jia Vern Tham

Researcher

Jia Vern is passionate about examining horizontal and vertical trust in Malaysian society. She has led multiple nationwide projects which explored public opinion in the realm of CVE as well as criminal justice issues. Notably, she created #TrackerBenci, an AI-driven tool which identified and monitored levels of intergroup hate on Malaysian Twitter.

Lutfi Hakim

Tukang Cherita

Lutfi is a communications professional who has developed and executed communications campaigns on human rights, and inclusive financial education over traditional and social media. He has worked in the public and private sectors as well as in INGOs based in Southeast Asia. He previously served as the press secretary to the Malaysian Finance Minister.

Asrin Utong

Program Executive (Sabah Chapter)

[email protected]

With over 5 years of experience working in the refugee, migrant and stateless communities in Sabah, Asrin operates several advocacy organizations involving stateless children, community development and engagement with various stakeholders throughout Malaysia. Asrin is also an author of books published by Gerak Budaya, namely Muda & Derhaka (compilation of articles and political/social essays).

Shafizan Johari

Shafizan Johari is a journalist and strategic communications expert specializing in narrative development, policy advocacy, and digital media innovation. As Multiplatform News Innovation Lead Editor at Astro AWANI, he integrates AI and data analytics into media practices to enhance storytelling and public discourse. His expertise in youth engagement, countering violent extremism (CVE), and conflict resolution narratives aligns with regional peace and security efforts. His research on youth movements in the Patani question, explores grassroots activism in peacebuilding. He is currently an Elite Fellow at the Economics and Business Faculty, University of Malaya. During his Wolfson Press Fellowship at the University of Cambridge in 2016, he conducted research on countering violent extremism (CVE) through defectors' narratives. Shafizan's work bridges journalism, academia, and policy and security discourse.

Khalil Makata

Historical Researcher & Archival Work

Khalil Makata is a seasoned creative professional with nearly 20 years of experience in photography, social media curation, and project management. He has worked across various industries, from managing photography projects at Rupajiwa Studio to producing podcasts for EFM Live. His diverse portfolio includes involvement in architecture photography, content creation for brands like Florsheim Malaysia, Feebay.Co, while producing visuals for renowned events and concerts. His ability to blend creativity with strategic thinking has positioned him as a versatile figure in the creative industry, especially with his significant contributions to IMAN Research's media output, where he also co-produced the coffee table book *Triple-flavoured Fish* alongside Badrul Hisham, a notable project that explores themes of culture and identity.

Dr Rowena Abdul Razak

Lecturer in Middle East History/Historical Consultant

Rowena Abdul Razak holds a DPhil in Oriental Studies from the University of Oxford. Her thesis examined the start of the Cold War in Iran. She has written on Arab nationalism in Bahrain, Iranian labour history, and Malaysian-Iranian relations. She previously taught at the LSE and Queen Mary, University of London. She is currently a lecturer in Middle East history at SOAS. She recently founded Timur Consulting, a historical consultancy that explores the links between the Persian Gulf and Southeast Asia.