He was born in Pahang, Kampung Gali Hilir, Raub and growing up in Kampung Budu, Kuala Lipis Pahang. His early studies began at Kampung Budu, Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Budu and later at Al-Ulum Ad-Diniah Religious Secondary School, Raub, Pahang. Furthermore, he continued his studies at high school level at Kulliah Sultan Abu Bakar, Pekan, Pahang. He then was offered to pursue foundation study at University of Malaya, Nilam Puri for two years. He then pursued his Bachelor Degree, in Fiqh and Usul Department, Academy of Islamic Studies, UM and obtained his first degree in 2012. He then offered to pursue his Doctoral degree at the same university and obtained his Doctorate of Philosophy in 2016.  He build up his expertise in Fiqh al-Zakah (especially the zakah of Islamic financial institutions in Malaysia), Islamic Law of Property (Islamic Inheritance, Waqf, Hibah and Will) and Usul al-Fiqh at the Department of Fiqh and Usul, Academy of Islamic Studies UM. He also being actively involved in writing books, journal articles and presentations in national seminars as well as international seminars. In addition, his research tendency covers the field of Fatwa, Mu'amalah, the History of Islamic Law. He has produced writings as much as 11 books, 50 chapters in books, 118 journal articles, 27 articles in proceeding and a number of studies in the form of presented paper, media and technical report (about 224 publications in total by 2024). All of these writings cover areas of Islamic Law of Property, Zakah, Mu'amalah, Islamic finance, Fatwa, Islamic Inheritance Law, Historical Development of Islamic Law, Islamic Medicine and Halal (Islamic Consumerism). He also involved in the study of zakah with Zakah Collection Centre of MAIWP, halal and Islamic Medicine with Jabatan Mufti Negeri PulauPinang and JAKIM, Takaful With Takaful Institutions, Islamic historiography in collaboration with the Sultan Abu Bakar Museum, Pekan, Pahang. He is actively participating seminar and conference at the national and international level. Apart from that, he is also being actively involved in Persatuan Ulama Malaysia, National Dakwah Council organization (or Majlis Dakwah Negara) and the Pondok Perdana Curriculum Development Committee. As a Associate Professor at University of Malaya, he performed his duties by conducting lectures, tutorials and research related to Fiqh and Usul Fiqh and currently being appointed as head of department of Department of Fiqh and Usul. He is the son of Rosele bin Mohd Sari and Norihan bt Aman and the third of four siblings. He is also a husband to Ummi Farahin Yasin and a father of two sons and one daughter named Muhammad Aqil Munsif, Muhammad Arfan and Afwa Shafiyya.  

Jillian Ooi started out as an environmental social scientist but shifted to studying marine plants because she is fascinated by the sea. For her Master’s degree in Environmental Management, she explored the effects of disturbances on seaweed communities. She later earned a PhD in Seagrass Biogeography at the University of Western Australia as an Endeavour International Postgraduate Scholarship recipient. Working under the mentorship of Professor Gary Kendrick and the late Dr Kimberly Van Niel, she studied the spatial patterns and ecology of subtidal seagrasslands in the Johor islands. There, she fell irrevocably under the spell of these overlooked yet vital ecosystems. Jillian’s research consists of 3 themes: (1) investigating ecosystem functions of seagrass, particularly their roles as habitats and feeding grounds for fish and megafauna, (2) developing spatial distribution models for seagrass species in Southeast Asia, to provide an understanding of what makes a suitable seagrass habitat, and (3) developing effective restoration methods for seagrass and coral reefs. Her work has contributed to the gazettement of the Kepulauan Lima marine park in Johor (2023), strengthened protection for the Tioman Marine Park in Pahang (2007), and supported the establishment of a dugong sanctuary in Johor (2005 and 2017). Jillian enjoys working with local communities, spearheading and nurturing community-driven seagrass conservation initiatives in the Sungai Johor and Sungai Pulai estuaries. Her efforts focus on empowering local stakeholders through capacity building in seagrass monitoring and mapping. In 2015, Jillian received the Komai Fellowship to study the satoumi approach to seagrass restoration in Japan. In 2022, she was among six global researchers awarded the Pew Marine Fellowship for her work in seagrass restoration and to raise awareness about seagrass in Malaysia through the cultural arts approach. She blended the performing arts with science to create Seruan Setu, a groundbreaking gamelan music concert dedicated to seagrass ecosystems. When she is not underwater watching grass grow, Jillian is the Artistic Director and Music Director of Rhythm in Bronze, an award-winning contemporary gamelan ensemble based in Kuala Lumpur. Founded in 1997, Rhythm in Bronze is known for its pioneering efforts in showcasing the Malay gamelan as its main medium of musical expression. Jillian’s music direction and compositions for the gamelan have won awards and/or received nominations at the BOH Cameronian Arts Awards, which celebrates outstanding performances in music, dance, theatre and musical theatre in Malaysia. She considers the Sea her main source of musical inspiration. 

Dr. Yew Wei Lit is a senior lecturer in the Department of Geography at the University of Malaya. Prior to this, he was a lecturer at Hong Kong Baptist University and a postdoctoral fellow at Yale-NUS College in Singapore. Based disciplinarily in comparative politics and environmental studies, his research has focused on the politics of development and environmental contention, and more broadly on civil society dynamics in China and Southeast Asia. Dr. Yew obtained a PhD in Asian and International Studies from City University of Hong Kong. He received his MSc in Comparative Politics (Asia) from the London School of Economics and his BIT from Multimedia University (Malaysia).