Amir is a syntactician who mainly conducts research on the syntax of copular constructions but also has an interest in other areas of grammar such as extraction, expletives, morphosyntax, historical syntax, and typology (especially that of the Austronesian languages). He was awarded a PhD in Linguistics and English language by the University of Edinburgh and an MA in Linguistics by University College London, the thesis of both of which focused on copular constructions in Malay specifically. In addition to his expertise in Malay theoretical/descriptive morphosyntax, he is also au fait with the literature on English morphosyntax and has a firm grasp on phonology as well as pedagogy, owing to his Bachelor's degree in TESL from UiTM. . . . . Those looking to conduct research in the fields of syntax, morphology, and their applications in other areas, are welcome to enquire. I am able to supervise students who would like to focus on languages other than English or Malay as well.

Dr. Lai received his Ph.D. from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Technische Universität Ilmenau under the DAAD Ph.D. Sandwich Programme, and was conferred the prestigious Chancellor Award by the Queen of Johor. He is currently an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Universiti Malaya, as well as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of BioSight Sdn Bhd, a spin-off company of Universiti Malaya. Dr. Lai has been instrumental in fostering industry-academic collaborations, leading multiple industrial consultation projects. His contributions to science and technology, particularly in medical engineering, have been significant. His research focuses on the development of innovative biomedical devices, including a portable, non-invasive scoliosis detection system and a point-of-care device for knee osteoarthritis diagnosis using vibroarthrography (VAG). More recently, he has pioneered novel machine learning approaches for automated cartilage pattern recognition in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), reducing the need for extensive human intervention. His work has gained substantial interest from both local and international industries. Recognized for his excellence in research and education, Dr. Lai has received more than 30 prestigious international and national awards. These include multiple Special Awards and Gold Medals, as well as Best of the Best Awards from ITEX, MTE, i-ENVEX, AiNEX, PECIPTA, and BioMalaysia Expo, among others. He has also represented Universiti Malaya in global competitions such as iCREATe in Singapore, Thailand, and Japan. Additionally, he has been honored with accolades such as the Best Presentation Award from Fukuoka University (Japan), the Best Sustainable Prototype Award at Digital Wonderland Singapore Expo 2019, an Honorable Mention Award at NSIEC 2020 (Taiwan), and the First Runner-Up Award at the Brunei Crown Prince CIPTA 2021 competition. In recognition of his achievements, he was elected as a Member of the Young Scientists Network - Academy of Sciences Malaysia (YSN-ASM) in 2021 and as a board member of the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) Young Affiliates Network (TYAN). Dr. Lai has authored over 140 peer-reviewed publications indexed in ISI/Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus, with an h-index of 22. His work has led to the granting of 17 patents and intellectual property rights. As principal investigator or co-researcher, he has successfully completed 22 funded projects and is currently leading 13 ongoing research initiatives supported by government agencies, industry partners, and international collaborators. As a credentialed engineer, Dr. Lai is a registered Professional Engineer with a Practicing Certificate (PEPC) at the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) and holds several esteemed engineering titles, including Fellow of Engineers Australia (FIEAust), APEC Engineer (IntPE Australia), Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng, NER Australia), Fellow and Council Member of the Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM), Senior Member of IEEE (USA), Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Chartered Engineer (CEng, UK), and Professional Technologist at the Malaysia Board of Technologists (MBOT). Dr. Lai is actively involved in academic and professional service, serving as a Technical Programme Committee (TPC) member and reviewer for over 50 international conferences, workshops, and journals. He has delivered more than 20 keynote and invited talks at international conferences. Additionally, he serves on the editorial boards of several indexed journals, including as Associate Editor of IEEE Access and IET Image Processing, and as Lead Guest Editor for journals such as Multimedia Tools and Applications and Current Medical Imaging. Beyond his academic and research endeavors, Dr. Lai plays a pivotal role in engineering education. He is the key resource person for curriculum development and accreditation reviews (EAC/MQA/QMEC) in his department and serves as an Accreditation Panel member under the Board of Engineers Malaysia. In 2018, he was appointed as a Fellow under the Ministry of Education Malaysia’s CEO@Faculty Programme, working with C-suite executives at PLUS Malaysia Berhad on digital innovation strategies for IR4.0 transformation. He played a key role in developing commercial strategies for the PLUS Video Analytics (VA) Infrastructure, a project with an investment exceeding RM20 million. Dr. Lai’s research excellence has been recognized with numerous awards, including the ACU Fellowship by the Association of Commonwealth Universities (UK) in 2021 for his research on hospital readmission risks among recovered COVID-19 patients. He was also honored with the IEM Young Engineer Award 2021, the IEEE-EMBS Early Career Achievement Award 2021, and the BEM Malaysia Most Prominent Young Engineering Leader Award (Tokoh Muda) 2022, presented by the Prime Minister of Malaysia. In 2024, he received the Anugerah Penyelidik Muda Cemerlang (Bidang Sains) from Universiti Malaya. As the head of the Advanced Analytics Research Group at the Medical Imaging Laboratory, Dr. Lai has supervised 62 postgraduate students (18 PhD, 8 MSc, and 19 MEng completed; 15 PhD and 2 MSc ongoing). His research team has secured over RM4 million in funding for healthcare technology, medical imaging, and bioinstrumentation projects. His innovations have led to the development of clinically impactful diagnostic prototypes, including OsteoKneeKit™ and Scoltech™, both of which are currently undergoing commercialization. The Scoltech™ project has been approved under the UM Deep Tech Accelerator Programme with RM50,000 in seed funding, with Dr. Lai serving as CTO. Additionally, Dr. Lai contributes as an external examiner for PhD and MSc dissertations, both locally and internationally, and serves as a professional mentor for IEM (Malaysia) and Engineers Australia. He is also an external assessor for higher learning accreditation frameworks, an advisor for industry-academic liaison units, and a board member for Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia’s (USIM) new technologist programme. Furthermore, he serves on the Disciplinary Committee Panel of the Advocates and Solicitors Disciplinary Board (ASDB) under the Bar Council Malaysia.  

**Biografi Sedek bin Ariffin** Sedek bin Ariffin dilahirkan pada 20 Februari 1977 di Bagan Datoh, Perak, Malaysia. Beliau memulakan pendidikan awal Al-Quran dalam lingkungan keluarganya. Pada peringkat sekolah menengah, beliau menuntut di Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Slim River, sebelum melanjutkan pelajaran ke peringkat Diploma Tahfiz Al-Quran dan Al-Qiraat di Darul Quran JAKIM pada tahun 1998. Di Darul Quran, beliau dianugerahkan gelaran Hafiz Al-Quran dan telah mewakili Malaysia dalam pertandingan menghafaz Al-Quran di peringkat antarabangsa yang diadakan di Mekah al-Mukarramah. Setelah itu, beliau melanjutkan pengajian dalam bidang Al-Quran dan Al-Qiraat di Ma’had Qiraat Al-Azhar, Mesir, pada tahun 2002, diikuti dengan pengajian dalam bidang bahasa Arab di Universiti Umm Al-Qura, Makkah al-Mukarramah. Pada tahun 2005, beliau kembali ke Malaysia untuk menyambung pengajian ke peringkat Sarjana pada tahun 2008 dan seterusnya ke peringkat Doktor Falsafah pada tahun 2011 di Universiti Malaya. Beliau pernah berkhidmat sebagai pensyarah sambilan di Darul Quran JAKIM sebelum memulakan kerjaya di Universiti Malaya pada tahun 2009. Kini, beliau menjawat jawatan sebagai Profesor Madya di Jabatan Al-Quran dan Al-Hadith, Akademi Pengajian Islam Universiti Malaya. Kepakaran beliau terletak dalam bidang hafazan Al-Quran dan Al-Qiraat. Di samping itu, beliau aktif dalam penulisan akademik mengenai hafazan Al-Quran, dengan banyak kertas kerja dibentangkan di pelbagai persidangan dan seminar di negara-negara seperti Indonesia, Brunei, Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, China, Turki, Iraq, Poland, dan United Kingdom. Beliau juga merupakan penulis beberapa buku, termasuk "Metodologi Hafazan Al-Quran," "Modul-modul Hafazan Al-Quran," "Ikhtiyar Dalam Ilmu Qiraat," dan "Pengantar Ilmu Qiraat," yang diterbitkan oleh Penerbit Universiti Malaya. Sejak menyertai Universiti Malaya, beliau telah menyelia lebih 50 pelajar di peringkat Sarjana dan Doktor Falsafah, serta berperanan sebagai pemeriksa dan penilai tesis di institusi pengajian tinggi awam dan swasta di seluruh Malaysia. Pada tahun 2014, beliau terpilih sebagai felo penyelidik di Universiti Warsaw, Poland, di bawah tajaan EC Erasmus. Pada tahun 2017, beliau menjadi pensyarah jemputan di Sakarya Universiti, Turki, di bawah tajaan program Mevlana. Beliau juga telah dianugerahkan cuti sabatikal oleh Universiti Malaya pada tahun 2019 dan 2024 untuk melaksanakan penyelidikan dalam bidang hafazan Al-Quran dan ilmu Qiraat. Selain itu, beliau aktif dalam bidang pentashihan Al-Quran sebagai Setiausaha Lajnah Tasheh Al-Quran, Kementerian Dalam Negeri, sejak tahun 2013 hingga kini. Beliau juga turut menyumbang kepakaran dalam bidang ibadah haji dengan berperanan sebagai Guru Pembimbing Ibadah Haji di PEKTA Tabung Haji Malaysia, serta aktif dalam menyampaikan syarahan mengenai ibadah Haji dan Umrah. **Biography of Sedek bin Ariffin** Sedek bin Ariffin was born on February 20, 1977, in Bagan Datoh, Perak, Malaysia. He began his early Quranic education within his family. During his secondary education, he attended Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Slim River, before pursuing a Diploma in Tahfiz Al-Quran and Al-Qiraat at Darul Quran JAKIM in 1998. At Darul Quran, he was honored with the title of Hafiz Al-Quran and represented Malaysia in an international Quran memorization competition held in Mecca al-Mukarramah. Subsequently, he continued his studies in Quran and Qiraat at Ma’had Qiraat Al-Azhar, Egypt, in 2002, followed by studies in Arabic language at Umm Al-Qura University in Mecca al-Mukarramah. In 2005, he returned to Malaysia to pursue a Master's degree, which he completed in 2008, and later obtained his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in 2011 from Universiti Malaya. He served as a part-time lecturer at Darul Quran JAKIM before commencing his career at Universiti Malaya in 2009. Currently, he holds the position of Associate Professor in the Department of Al-Quran and Al-Hadith at the Academy of Islamic Studies, Universiti Malaya. His expertise lies in the fields of Quran memorization and Qiraat. In addition to his teaching, he is actively involved in academic writing related to Quran memorization, having presented numerous research papers at various conferences and seminars in countries such as Indonesia, Brunei, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, China, Turkey, Iraq, Poland, and the United Kingdom. He is also the author of several books, including "Metodologi Hafazan Al-Quran," "Modul-modul Hafazan Al-Quran," "Ikhtiyar Dalam Ilmu Qiraat," and "Pengantar Ilmu Qiraat," published by the University of Malaya Press. Since joining Universiti Malaya, he has supervised over 50 students at the Master's and Doctoral levels and has served as an examiner and assessor for theses at public and private higher education institutions throughout Malaysia. In 2014, he was selected as a research fellow at the University of Warsaw, Poland, under the EC Erasmus sponsorship. In 2017, he served as a visiting lecturer at Sakarya University, Turkey, under the Mevlana program. He has also been awarded sabbatical leaves by Universiti Malaya in 2019 and 2024 to conduct research in the fields of Quran memorization and Qiraat. Furthermore, he is actively involved in Quranic verification as the Secretary of the Lajnah Tasheh Al-Quran at the Ministry of Home Affairs since 2013. He also contributes his expertise in the field of Hajj rituals as a Hajj Guiding Teacher at PEKTA Tabung Haji Malaysia and is actively engaged in delivering lectures on Hajj and Umrah.  **سيرة ذاتية صديق بن عارفين** وُلِد صديق بن عارفين في ۲٠ فبراير ۱٩٧٧ في باغان داتو، بيراك، ماليزيا. تلقى تعليمه القرآني المبكر في كنف أسرته، حيث بدأ في حفظ القرآن منذ نعومة أظفاره. أثناء دراسته الثانوية، التحق بمدرسة الثانوية الوطنية الدينية سليم ريفر، ثم واصل مسيرته الأكاديمية ليحصل على دبلوم في حفظ القرآن والقراءات من دار القرآن جاكيم في عام ۱٩٩٨. وفي سياق ذلك، حظي بلقب حافظ القرآن وشارك بفاعلية في مسابقة دولية لحفظ القرآن الكريم التي أُقيمت في مكة المكرمة. لاحقاً، واصل دراساته في مجال القرآن والقراءات في معهد قراءات الأزهر في مصر عام ۲٠٠۲، ثم درس اللغة العربية في جامعة أم القرى بمكة المكرمة. في عام ۲٠٠٥، عاد إلى ماليزيا لاستكمال دراسته العليا، حيث حصل على درجة الماجستير في عام ۲٠٠٨، وتبعها الحصول على درجة الدكتوراه في عام ۲٠۱۱ من جامعة مالايا. عمل كأستاذ محاضر جزئي في دار القرآن جاكيم قبل أن يبدأ مسيرته الأكاديمية في جامعة مالايا في عام ۲٠٠٩. حالياً، يشغل منصب أستاذ مشارك في قسم القرآن والحديث بأكاديمية الدراسات الإسلامية بجامعة مالايا، حيث تتركز خبرته في مجالات حفظ القرآن والقراءات. إلى جانب نشاطه التدريسي، يساهم بنشاط في الكتابة الأكاديمية المتعلقة بحفظ القرآن، حيث قدم مجموعة من الأبحاث في مؤتمرات وندوات دولية في بلدان مثل إندونيسيا، بروناي، تايلاند، فيتنام، كوريا الجنوبية، الصين، تركيا، العراق، بولندا، والمملكة المتحدة. كما أنه مؤلف لعدد من الكتب، منها "منهجية حفظ القرآن"، "وحدات حفظ القرآن"، "الاختيار في علم القراءات"، و"مدخل إلى علم القراءات"، التي صدرت عن دار جامعة مالايا. منذ انضمامه إلى جامعة مالايا، أشرف على أكثر من ٥٠ طالباً على مستوى الماجستير والدكتوراه، بالإضافة إلى عمله كممتحن ومقيم للأطروحات في مؤسسات التعليم العالي العامة والخاصة في جميع أنحاء ماليزيا. في عام ۲٠۱٤، تم اختياره كزميل بحث في جامعة وارسو، بولندا، تحت رعاية برنامج إيراسموس EC. وفي عام ۲٠۱٧، عمل كأستاذ زائر في جامعة ساكاريا، تركيا، ضمن برنامج ميفلانا. كما مُنح إجازات تفرغ علمي من جامعة مالايا في عامي ۲٠۱٩ و۲٠۲٤ لإجراء أبحاث متعمقة في مجالات حفظ القرآن والقراءات. علاوة على ذلك، يشارك بنشاط في التحقق من القرآن بوصفه أمين سر لجنة تصحيح القرآن في وزارة الداخلية منذ عام ۲٠۱٣. ويُسهم كذلك بخبرته في مجال مناسك الحج كمدرب للحج في PEKTA صندوق الحج الماليزي، حيث يُشارك بفاعلية في تقديم المحاضرات المتعلقة بالحج والعمرة.