Muhammad Safwan Harun is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Fiqh and Usul, Academy of Islamic Studies, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia. Born and raised in Selama, Perak, his academic journey began at Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Jalan Menteri, followed by secondary education at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Kerian, Semanggol, before furthering his studies at Sekolah Berasrama Penuh Integrasi Gopeng, Perak. His passion for Islamic jurisprudence led him to Universiti Malaya, Nilam Puri, where he completed a two-year foundation program before progressing to a Bachelor's degree in Fiqh and Usul at the Academy of Islamic Studies, Universiti Malaya. He graduated with distinction in 2016 and later pursued his Doctorate at the same institution, earning his PhD in November 2019. Coming from a humble yet academically driven background, Muhammad Safwan is the third son of Harun bin Mohd Nor and Zainab bt Mohd Nasir. He is also a devoted husband to Nazratun Naimah binti Jahuri and a proud father to Nur Sumayyah, Mohd Shakir, and Muhammad Shatir. As a scholar, his expertise lies in Maqasid al-Shari‘ah both in its theoretical and applied dimensions as well as Usul al-Fiqh. Over the years, he has been an active contributor to academic discourse through numerous journal articles, book chapters, and newspaper columns, while also presenting at both national and international conferences. As of June 2025, he has published approximately 110 scholarly works. His research interests span various facets of contemporary fiqh, including worship, ethics, zakat, and mu‘amalat. Beyond research and publication, Muhammad Safwan has played a key role in securing and managing 19 research grants from various funding bodies, including the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS), the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Department (JAWI), and the Faculty Research Grant (GPF), among others. His expertise is widely sought after, and he has been actively involved as a consultant in several major projects, including the development of the Shariah Glossary (I-Sign) for the Hearing-Impaired under the Institut Latihan Islam, Bangi, as well as the construction of the Modul Minda Maqasid, initiated by the Maqasid Shariah Division, JAKIM. An advocate for knowledge dissemination, Muhammad Safwan frequently delivers lectures and training sessions on Maqasid al-Shari‘ah, engaging with civil servants, academics, and students at public universities. His dedication to scholarly excellence is further reflected in his international engagements, where he serves as an editorial board member for prestigious publications such as the Journal of Religious, Social, and Cultural Studies and the Khazanah Journal of Islamic Education. Through these roles, he continues to contribute to the advancement of Islamic scholarship at both national and global levels.  

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. 

Mohammad Tawfik bin Yaakub is a senior lecturer in the department of Political Science, Public Administration, and Development Studies, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Malaya. He obtained his Degree in Social Sciences (Political Science) in 2010, his Master of Social Sciences (Political Science) in 2012, both from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Political Studies in 2018 from the University of Malaya (UM), Kuala Lumpur. Prior to joining UM, he worked as a tutor in the School of History, Politics, and Strategy at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) from 2010 to 2012, and as Assistant Secretary at the Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM) from 2012 to 2013. He subsequently served as a Research Assistant at the Centre for the Study of Malay Excellence, Academy of Malay Studies (UM) from 2013 to 2015. During his tenure at the Faculty of Business and Economics, Mohammad Tawfik bin Yaakub was also appointed to hold several positions at the faculty and university level, including Research Fellow at the University of Malaya Centre for Democracy and Elections (UMcedel) from 2021 to 2022, committee member of the University of Malaya Sports Program from 2021 to 2024, and Department Representative for the Postgraduate Committee from 2020 to 2021. Mohammad Tawfik bin Yaakub has extensive knowledge in the field of Political Science, with specialisation in Malaysian politics, federalism, Malay politics, comparative politics, and ethnic politics. He was also named Chief Researcher, in charge of two national studies: The Re-Empowerment of Parliament Institutions in Malaysia After 14 General Elections and Its Impact Towards Democracy from 2019 to 2021, and The Socioeconomic Influence of Voters on the Results of the 14th General Election in Selangor from 2019 to 2022. Other co-researcher projects include: “Re-introduction Of Local Elections in Malaysia: Assessment of Its Possibility and Impact On The Social Structure from 2018 to 2020”; “Addressing The Future Of Work: Policy And Stakeholders Response On Graduate Employability Since The Pandemic from 2022 to 2024”; and “Border Security Along Kudat And Sandakan Sabah's Eastern Coastal Areas: The Impact Of Social-Business On Sustainable Livelihoods from 2018 to 2020”.  He is also active in publishing articles on Malaysian politics in journals, books, book chapters, and mainstream newspapers. Since 2021, Mohammad Tawfik b Yaakub has published one Scopus-indexed article, 14 articles in internationally and locally indexed journals, a book titled “Dua Era Kerjasama Politik UMNO-PAS: Bermula Cita-Cita, Berakhir di Putrajaya” in 2020, and seven chapters in books. In addition, from 2018 to the present, he has written 200 articles about Malaysian politics for mainstream print and online media outlets such as Berita Harian, Utusan Malaysia, Sinar Harian, Kosmo, Harakah, and Awani Online. Mohammad Tawfik b Yaakub is frequently invited to appear as a political analyst for Malaysian mainstream media outlets such as TV1, TV3, Astro Awani, Al-Hijrah TV, Sinar Harian, Bernama TV, Sarawak TV, and the country's main radio channels such as Buletin FM, Era FM, Sinar FM, Nasional FM, KL FM, and Bernama Radio. He was a panellist on Sinar Harian, Bernama, RTM, and Astro Awani during the 15th Malaysian General Election. Apart from that, from 2021 to 2022, he is frequently invited by government institutions such as The Royal Malaysian Police College (PDRM), the Islamic Training Institute of Malaysia (ILIM), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Teacher Training Institute, Ministry of Education and Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UNISZA) to conduct courses and provide briefings on political developments in the country. In addition, he was invited by the Public Service Department (JPA) to serve on the interview panel for the Hadiah Latihan Persekutuan (HLP).