Professor Dr THONG Meow Keong studied medicine and trained in Paediatrics at the University of Malaya. He received genetics training in Singapore and was a Fellow in Clinical Genetics at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide and as a Senior Fellow at the renowned Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia. He was recognized as the first board-certified clinical geneticist in Malaysia and helped established Clinical Genetics as a subspecialty in the National Specialist Register Malaysia. He established the first Genetics clinic with genetic counselling service at the University Hospital Kuala Lumpur in 1995 and headed the Genetics & Metabolism Unit at the Department of Paediatrics. He received a Doctorate in Medicine from University of Malaya in 2004, for research on the molecular genetics of beta thalassaemia and discovering the molecular basis of beta thalassaemia in the Kadazandusuns in Sabah.   Professor Thong was a Fulbright scholar at the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, USA and a past recipient of the 8th Royal College of Physicians of London and Academy of Medicine of Malaysia Annual Research Award, Australia-Malaysia Fellowship in Research Excellence, the Travel Award by the Asian Society for Pediatric Research Japan, University of Malaya Distinguished Service awards. He also won three gold medals in ITEX and Biotechnology Asia invention and innovation competitions. In 2019, he received the Minister of Education of Malaysia Award for Curriculum Design and Innovation as well as University of Malaya's Excellence Award for 'Distinguished Research in Science'. He was also the recipient for the prestigious American Society of Human Genetics Advocacy Award 2022 and the Star Golden Hearts Award in 2024 in recognition of efforts in developing genetic and genomic healthcare for all. Professor Thong has published over 120 peer-reviewed publications on research work done on genetic disorders that hitherto have not been well documented in the various Asian subpopulations. He co-authored 8 books, including Handbook of Hospital Paediatrics (2nd edition), Problem-based Learning in Medical Sciences and Rare Journeys of Love and 15 book chapters, including a chapter in the prestigious Oxford monograph Genomics and Health in the Developing World and presented in many national and international conferences, including 200 proceedings and 10 keynote / plenary lectures. He worked closely with the Ministry of Health Malaysia in developing the counselling module for thalassaemia and other clinical practice guidelines. He collaborated with the World Health Organization and March of Dimes in preparing a document on management of birth defects and haemoglobinopathies as well as rare diseases. He was the lead author for two policy papers, including a White Paper on 'Rare Diseases in Malaysia' written in conjunction with the Institute of Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) and helped developed the National Policy on Rare Diseaes in Malaysia in 2025 He was the past President of the Asia-Pacific Society of Human Genetics, founding Vice President of the Medical Genetics Society of Malaysia, Chairman of the Clinical Genetics sub-speciality committee of the National Specialist Register Malaysia, appointed member of the Education committee member in Paediatrics by the Malaysian Medical Council and President of the College of Paediatrics, Academy of Medicine of Malaysia. He was the Head, Department of Paediatrics, University of Malaya from 2009 – 2011 with the notable achievement of overseeing the successful transition of the Department of Paediatrics to the new Women’s and Children’s Health Complex of UMMC. He was also appointed as the founding Head, Genetic Medicine unit of the University Malaya Medial Centre. He was elected as a Fellow of Academy of Medicine of Malaysia, Academy of Medicine Singapore, Academy of Sciences Malaysia and ASEAN Academy of Engineering and Technology. He was elected a steering committee member of the Global Genomic Medicine Collaborative (G2MC) in 2022. Professor Thong is also a reviewer for international journal manuscripts, research grant applications as well as an examiner for national and international medical examinations in Sydney, Melbourne, Dhaka and Hong Kong. He co-authored the new Malaysian Paediatrics postgraduate curriculum in conjunction with the National Postgradaute Medical Curriculum Writing project. He organized the 10th Asia-Pacific Conference on Human Genetics and is the founding National Advisor to the Malaysian Rare Disorders Society in 2004. He helped established the Genetic Counselling Society of Malaysia. He organised the first UM-Chinese University of Hong Kong Certificate Course in Clinical Genetics and Genomics at the University of Malaya. His current interests include delineation of rare disorders, preventive and curative strategies for genetic disorders, genetic counselling, inborn errors of metabolism. medical education and access to genetics and genomics services in developing countries. He is involved in gene therapy for patients and  other clinical trials for genetic diseases. He has obtained over 20 research grants and has international collaborations with renowned centres in Australia, Saudi Arabia, USA, Japan and Hong Kong. 

Associate Professor Dr. Mohd Norhusairi bin Mat Hussin is a faculty member at the Department of Shariah and Law, Academy of Islamic Studies, Universiti Malaya (UM). Prior to joining academia, he practiced as a Syarie lawyer in the Shariah Courts of Malaysia. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Shariah (Islamic Law) with Distinction from Universiti Malaya in 2006 and later completed a Fast-Track PhD in Shariah and Law from the same institution in 2014. Dr. Mohd Norhusairi has received several prestigious awards, including the National Maal Hijrah Figure (Tokoh Maal Hijrah Kebangsaan) Award (2002) from the Ministry of Education Malaysia, the Shell Special Excellent Award (2002), the Special Award from His Royal Highness the Sultan of Kelantan (2002), and the Excellent Student Award at both state and national levels (2002). His areas of expertise encompass Islamic Family Law, Moot Court and Court Procedure, Islamic Civil Procedure, and Islamic Law and Society. He has led and participated in numerous research projects in the fields of Islamic Family Law and Mal (civil) procedure, including those funded under the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS), the Inquisitorial Procedure Development Project, and research projects supported by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS). His leadership in these projects reflects a sustained commitment to advancing research that strengthens the administration of justice in the Shariah legal system. Recognized for his expertise in Islamic Family Law, Dr. Mohd Norhusairi has been invited as a keynote speaker by various universities, including UIN Malang, Indonesia, where he presented on “Family Resilience in the Recession Era: Empowering Women through the Practice of Harta Sepencarian in Malaysia” (ICOLESS, 6–7 September 2023) and “Islamic Family Law as Protection for Women and Family Institutions in Malaysia” (5 September 2023). He has also delivered invited lectures at UIN Sunan Ampel, UIN Raden Intan Lampung, and other institutions in Indonesia. In 2023, he represented Universiti Malaya at the ICIEF/ULIFAM Conference in Ankara, Turkey (25 September – 7 October 2023), where he presented “Development of Islamic Finance in the Family Context in Malaysia.” He also served as a keynote speaker at Karabuk University, Türkiye (29 September 2022), presenting “Zakat as Islamic Philanthropy in Malaysia: An Overview from a Legal Perspective.” From 2019 to 2025, he has contributed as a Module Enhancer and Facilitator for postgraduate programmes at Open University Malaysia (OUM). Dr. Mohd Norhusairi has actively participated in numerous national and international academic programmes and conferences. These include guest lectures at UNIMMA, Indonesia (2021), Universitas Sunan Kalijaga, Yogyakarta (2020), UIN Sunan Ampel, Surabaya (2020), the International Conference on Economics, Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Barcelona (2023), the International Seminar on Islamic Law in Southeast Asia, UIN Sunan Kalijaga (2017), the International Journal of Arts and Sciences (IJAS) Conference, Barcelona (2015), and the International End-of-Year Multidisciplinary Conference, Bad Hofgastein, Austria (2011). He also presented at an international conference in Vienna, Austria (2024). In recognition of his academic excellence, Dr. Mohd Norhusairi was appointed as an International Research Fellow at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. He also serves as the Manager of the Journal of Shariah Law Research, published by the Department of Shariah and Law, Academy of Islamic Studies, Universiti Malaya, which has been successfully indexed in Scopus. Additionally, he serves as a member of the Editorial Board for the Q1 Scopus-indexed journal Al-Adalah (UIN Raden Intan Lampung, Indonesia) and as a member of the International Advisory Board of the BALA Journal, Amsya University, Turkey. Beyond academia, he has served as an advisor to the non-governmental organization Ikatan Muslim Prihatin Kebangsaan (IMPAK) since 2017. His scholarly contributions include numerous publications in national and international journals, primarily in the areas of Islamic Law, Islamic Family Law, and Law and Society. He has authored several reference books on Islamic Family Law in Malaysia as well as a Qur’anic Study Series (Quranic Group 1–5).  

Dr. Ahmad Shamsuri Muhamad is a Senior lecturer at the Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, Faculty of Education, University of Malaya. as counsellor educator and registered counselor with the Malaysian Board of Counsellors, his Specialization  mainly in rehabilitation counselling for persons with disabilities. His research interest include but not limited to mental health and well-being of Persons with Disabilities (PWDS), career counselling and inclusive education for PWDs. he also actively involved with non-government organization of/for persons with disabilities in Malaysia and certified trainer for Disability Equality Training by Social Welfare Department (JKM) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Beside written various articles in academic journals, he also conducted many motivational talk and training for diverse populations locally and internationally.