DR. RAIHANA BINTI ABDUL WAHAB

Raihana Abdul Wahab's main research interest is on the Islamic Astronomy, particularly in Observational Astronomy. She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Shariah major in Islamic Astronomy from the Universiti Malaya and holds a Ph.D. in Islamic Astronomy from University Malaya in 2014.  Since 2015, she appointed as a Senior Lecturer for Islamic Astronomy Programme under the Department of Fiqh-Usul and Applied Sciences, Academy of Islamic Studies, Universiti Malaya. She has been invited to deliver talks about several topics in Islamic Astronomy Research in Malaysia. Her completed research project is a Sky Brightness Research for Determination of Early Fajr Prayer Times funded by University of Malaya. Furthermore, she was the Principle Investigator of the fatwa research grant that was awarded by JAKIM for the Reevaluation of the Sun’s Altitude for Determination Beginning of Fajr Prayer Times in Malaysia. The findings of this research was presented to Fatwa Research and Management Committee, JAKIM and National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs of Malaysia (MKI). At the end of November 2019, several states announce earlier compared to other states on changes of beginning for Fajr prayer time to average 8 minutes later than the existing prayer time calendar. On April 21, 2020, the State of Kelantan announced the changes of the early Fajr prayer time. Therefore, all states in Malaysia have adopted the parameters of this research. She has also awarded a community research grant entitled Bringing Astronomy Community to Educate People under the University of Malaya Community Engagement Center (UMCares) research fund from 2018-2020. Her current research is Application of The Digital Imaging Techniques in the Observation of the Young Crescent Moon from the Perspective of Shariah and Astronomy.  She has written more than 10 articles in international and local journals. Due to her extensive experience in the research work that has been carried out, she has been appointed by the Perak State Mufti Department as one of the members of the Falak committee for the State of Perak from 2018 until present. She also has been appointed as Islamic Astronomy Expert Panel for Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) from 2024-2025.

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DR. DZUL AFIQ BIN ZAKARIA

السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ Dr. Dzul Afiq Zakaria is a passionate thinker and an accomplished artist, designer, researcher, and academician with more than a decade of experience in art and design. Actively involved in the art scene and design industries; His past experience with corporate organization as an art director in the publishing and media industry includes a stint as a senior designer in an advertising studio with portfolios of covers for high-profile clients. Dzul’s passion for both his creative practice and academic career fuels his continuous exploration of aesthetics and innovation. Dr. Dzul balances an easygoing nature with a determined focus on achieving goals. His artistic journey is influenced by figures like Willem de Kooning, Syed Ahmad Jamal, Yusof Ghani, and John Lennon, to name a few, who knew their own minds and found strength and creativity within—qualities that resonate deeply with Dzul's own approach to art and life. The world is all the better for it. His artwork blends abstract expressionism with the rich cultural traditions of Islamic and Malay art. His doctoral research explored the intricate relationship between spirituality, culture, and artistic expression, offering profound reflections on the legacy of these traditions. Through his exploration of complex patterns, symbolic themes, and cultural narratives, Dzul’s art connects the historical with the contemporary. His work is both intellectually rigorous and spiritually resonant, making him not only a painter but also a philosopher of art. Beyond painting, Dr. Dzul excels in graphic design and multimedia, treating it as a visual language that communicates complex ideas. His contributions to art philosophy, aesthetics, and design, now, particularly within the context of Islamic and Malay traditions, are both transformative and significant. Dr. Dzul is a person who is quiet by nature and intentional by choice. He finds meaning in silence, structure in chaos, and beauty in simplicity.

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PROF. DR. GOH BOON TONG

Dr. Goh Boon Tong is a professor in the Department of Physics, Universiti Malaya, where currently serves as the Deputy Dean, Institute for Advanced Studies and the Deputy Head of the Low Dimensional Materials Research Center. He earned his PhD in 2012 with a thesis titled “Layer-by-Layer Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition of Nanocrystalline Silicon Thin Films”. His primary research interests focus on the synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials, including one-dimensional structures (nanowires, nanotubes, and nanorods), two-dimensional materials (graphene and metal carbides), and metallic nanoparticles. Dr. Goh has obtained numerous prestigious awards, both locally and internationally. These include the MASS 2001 Awards (Best Thesis Awards for Final Year Project of Undergraduate Science) from MASS Malaysia, the Excellence Award 2012 (for PhD candidates with the highest impact publications in the sciences) from the Universiti Malaya, the Newton Advanced Fellowship 2016, the Outstanding Researcher in Materials under the Science Discipline Award from the Venus International Foundation, the 2020 Top Research Scientists Malaysia (TRSM) Award from the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, as well as several conference awards. He has secured many local and international research grants and holds 6 filed patents. Dr. Goh also has been appointed to various academic and professional roles, including adjunct professor, visiting professor, visiting scientist, session chair at international conferences, editorial members and associate editors of journals, PhD thesis examiners by universities worldwide. To date, he has published over 235 peer-reviewed papers, with a total of nearly 3, 400 citations (h-index = 30) according to Google Scholar, and more than 156 refereed papers with nearly 2, 600 citations (h-index = 26) according to Publons Web of Science.

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RECENT PUBLICATION

LATEST AWARDED GRANT

  • Characterization of Anatomical, Physical and Mechanical Properties of Bamboo Species from Rimba Ilmu, Universiti Malaya for Sustainable Applications


  • Rural Youth Perception and Intention to Engage in Agri-entrepreneurshi


  • Feasibility Assessment of Direct Air Capture (dac) for Aviation Decarbonization At Kuala Lumpur International Airport (klia) and Any Potential Airports in Malaysia


  • Integrating Bone Health and Fall Risk Care for Post-menopausal Women With Hiv At a Tertiary Academic Centre: a Pre-implementation Study


  • Military Brand Identity and Institutional Branding: a Comparison Between The UK and Malaysia


  • Aligning Leadership, Values and Outcomes: Examining Healthcare Professionals' Workplace Experiences in Malaysia and Australia


  • The Impact of Capital Expenditure On Esg Performance in Asean Firms: The Moderating Role of Sustainability Committees


  • A Health Economic Analysis of Sodium Zirconium Cyclosilicate (szc) Use in The Emergency Department Treatment of Hyperkalaemia Patients in a Tertiary Teaching Hospital ? a Pilot Pre- and Post-matched Study