Professor Dr. Maya Khemlani David (Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, University of Malaya) received the Linguapax Award in 2007 and   is an Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, United Kingdom and an Honorary Member of the Foundation of Endangered Languages. As a sociolinguist, Dr. David has a special interest in discourse analysis, languages in Malaysian minority communities, and the role of language in establishing and maintaining national unity within and across cultures. She is a Visiting Scholar, College for Women and also consultant (ELT) for Kinnaird College, both in Lahore, Pakistan. She also is Hon. Academic Consultant, London College of Clinical Hypnosis. She holds an Executive Diploma in Coaching and also in Counselling.  Her publications include Malaysian Indian: Sociocultural Assimilation towards the Malay Majority (2012, Tanjung Malim, UPSI), Leadership Discourse of Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammad (2010, Shah Alam, UPENA ), Code-Switching in Malaysia ( 2009,Frankfurt, Peter Lang) and The Sindhis of Malaysia: A Sociolinguistic Account (2001, London, ASEAN), and her co-edited and edited publications are National Planning and Language Shifts in Malaysian Minority Communities: Speaking in Many Tongues(2011,IIAS/ICAS, University of Amsterdam Press), Politeness in Malaysian Family Talk (2008, Serdang: UPM), Language and Human Rights: Focus on Malaysia (2007, Serdang: UPM), Language and the Power of the Media (2006, Frankfurt, Peter Lang), Language Choices and Discourse of Malaysian Families: Case Studies of Families in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2006, Petaling Jaya, Strategic International and Research Development Centre), Teaching of English in Second and Foreign Language Settings: Focus on Malaysia (2004, Frankfurt, Peter Lang) and Developing Reading Skills (2002, Kuala Lumpur: Melta/Sasbadi). Dr. David can be contacted at: mayadavid@yahoo.com Areas of Specialisation • Cross-Cultural Communication • Discourse Analysis • English for Specific Purposes • Language Maintenance and Language Shift • Language of the Elderly • Language and Human Rights

Professor Dr. Kamila Ghazali is the Associate Vice-Chancellor (International) at University of Malaya. Since 2001, she has held several management roles at the faculty as well as university levels. She was previously the Director of International and Corporate Relations (ICR), Deputy Dean at the Institute of Graduate Studies, Chief Quality Auditor of UM, and Deputy Dean at the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics. As an academic, she belongs to the Department of English Language, Faculty of Languages and Linguistics. Her areas of academic expertise are critical discourse analysis and sociolinguistics with research on political discourse, media discourse, and ethnolinguistics where she delves into the language and culture of the orang asli (indigenous peoples). Her interest in indigenous languages has brought her to the longhouses in Sarawak where she conducted a preliminary sociolinguistic survey of the Tatau, Lugat, and Punan Ba to the jungles of Endau, Johor, to research on the Jakun community. Holding management roles had given rise to her interest in organizational discourse in which she had presented papers and published. Another area of research interest is in postgraduate research and training. Her later publications are on peer group learning in research writing.   

Raida is an associate professor at the Department of Management, Universiti Malaya. Her area of research interest is organizational psychology with a specific focus on work engagement, work-home interference, and employee wellbeing/happiness. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Management from Purdue University, USA, an MBA from Universiti Malaya, Malaysia, and PhD from RMIT University, Australia. Her research has been published in International Journal of Human Resource Management, Journal of Business Strategy and Development, International Journal of Training and Development, among others. She has 20 years of experience in consultancy and research projects. She was a consultant to numerous projects i.e. Ministry of Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development, Master Builder Association of Malaysia, ANGKASA, Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan, and many others. Raida’s current interest is in qualitative research.