SEASSR Vol. 7, No. 1 (Jan-May 2022)

Abdul Halim Ali, MA, a veteran sociologist, one of the pioneering members of the Department of Anthropology and Sociology of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) who helped set up the department in May 1970 when the university was being established. He taught sociology in UKM for more than three decades, serving in various capacities including as Dean of the Faculty of Development Science. After retiring from UKM, he moved to Sarawak where he was appointed professor and Chair of Nusantara Studies at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak for several years until full retirement. He is a life member of the Malaysian Social Science Association. Email: aha750@gmail.com.

Abdul Rahman Embong, PhD, is Emeritus Professor in Sociology of Development from the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia where he served for many years as a principal research fellow until retiring in January 2018. While at IKMAS, he was concurrently a founding Principal Fellow for three years at the Malaysian Institute of Integrity (2015 to 2017). He was President of the Malaysian Social Science Association (PSSM) for ten years between 2000 and 2010, and is the Association’s Special Advisor from 2010 till the present. He is a founding Life Member and Fellow of the Academy of Professors Malaysia (FAPM), and sits on its first Executive Council (2019–2021). He has written many articles and books, including State-led Modernization and the New Middle Class in Malaysia (2002 PalgraveMacMillan); Negara- bangsa: Proses dan Perbahasan (Nation-state: Processes and Debates) (2006 2nd ed.; UKM Press); Transforming Malaysia: Dominant and Competing Paradigms (eds. with Anthony Milner & Tham Siew Yean 2014 ISEAS); Connecting Oceans: Malaysia as a Maritime Nation (eds., with H-D Evers and Rashila Ramli 2019 UKM Press); Connecting Oceans: Malaysia as a Nusantara Civilisation (eds., with H-D Evers and Rashila Ramli 2020 UKM Press); and Sains Sosial Malaysia: Meneruskan Tradisi, Menanggapi Transformasi Masyarakat (Malaysian Social Science: Engaging Tradition and Social Transformation) (2022, IIUM Press). Email: rahmanhe@ukm.edu.my.

Afiq Nazrin Nor Rizlan, MPhil, is a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Malaysia Sabah. His research is on history and social movements. He has published a book based on his Master’s thesis entitled, Perjuangan Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Borneo Utara dan Kesannya ke atas Penduduk Peribumi Islam (UKM Press 2019). Email: nazrin.syai92@gmail.com.

Chin Yee Whah, PhD, is Professor of Economic Sociology in the School of Social Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia. He is Adjunct Professor in the Department of Business Studies, New Era University College (Malaysia). He received international grants from SEASREP, Toyota Foundation (1998) and CRISE, University of Oxford (2006). He was Visiting Research Fellow at the East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore (2007), Affiliate Fellow at the International Institute for Asian Studies, Amsterdam (2007), Research Fellow at the Asia Research Centre, Copenhagen Business School (2010), recipient of Taiwan Fellowship (2019). He is an editorial board member for Southeast Asian Social Science Review (SEASSR), Kajian Malaysia, and Malaysian Journal of Chinese Studies (MJCS). He is Guest Editor for Copenhagen Journal of Asian Studies, on ‘East and Southeast Asian SMEs in the Global Economy’, and ‘Beyond Borders: Connectivity and Changed Identities in East Asia’, as well as Guest Editor for Kajian Malaysia on ‘Community, Identity, Politics, and Healthcare in Malaysia’. His research interests include Chinese entrepreneurship, ethnic enterprise development, knowledge management, small and medium enterprises, and industrial relations. E-mail: ywchin@usm.my.

Ghazally Ismail, Ph.D is a retired professor from Malaysia, now residing in New Zealand. He obtained his PhD in Microbiology and Immunology in 1977 from Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA. He is widely acclaimed by his peers as a reputable scientist who pioneered research works on the pathogenic mechanism of a frequently misdiagnosed but fatal bacterial disease called melioidosis. Though trained as a medical immunologist, he is also a consummate naturalist and an ardent environmental advocate with many publications in both technical journals and popular magazines in areas related to his own discipline and also on nature education and conservation of Bornean flora and fauna. His latest publication related to flora and fauna is a book Monkey Moments: Encounters in Rainforest Escapades (2021). His last position before retiring was as founding Vice Chancellor of the University College of Sabah Foundation (UCSF), Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia where he served from 2013 to 2017. Prior to that, he helped establish Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Sabah Campus (UKMS) where he served as the Dean of Science from 1981 till 1993. He was then appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Services at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) from 1994 to 2001. After almost four decades as an academic, he retired and returned to New Zealand where he first pursued his early tertiary education in 1969 at the University of Otago. Email: ighazally@gmail.com.

Ihsan Alwi, M.Sc., is a Ph.D candidate and Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) at the Institute of Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development (ITBSD), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT). He obtained his bachelor’s degree (B.Sc) from UMT and a master’s degree (M.Sc) from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Shah Alam. His research focus is on community sustainable development, ecosystem services and biodiversity. While doing his master’s degree, he conducted research in pure science on the effects of air pollution on terrestrial plant ecosystems. He has won two silver awards and one bronze award at a research expo competition in 2015 and presented his research at a conference held in Bandung, Indonesia. He also won a silver award in the Research and Innovation Week (MPI 2021) organized by UMT on The Role of Agencies and Communities in Protecting the Natural Ecosystem Around Kenyir Lake, Terengganu. Email: ihsanalwi1510@gmail.com.

Khemmanit Wattanatinnachot, PhD, is a lecturer at the School of Languages and General Education, Walailak University, Thailand. She received her PhD in Sociology in 2020 from Universiti Sains Malaysia. Her research interests include labour and migrant workers. Two of her articles recently published are: “Team Members’ Perspective on Factors Affecting Virtual Team Working in Information Technology Consulting Firms” (Asia Social Issues, 2022) and “Nursing Assistants’ Perspectives on their Job Characteristics, Workload, and Wages: A Case Study of a Private Hospital in Bangkok” (Journal of Human and Society, Srisaket Rajabhat University, 2021). Email: khemmanit.wa@wu.ac.th.

Muhammad Ariff Asyrul Adnan, MA, is a lecturer in Political Science at the Faculty of Administrative Science and Policy Studies UiTM Raub Campus. He obtained his BA and MA in Political Science from the Political Science Program, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. His field of research include political economy, political development and political thought (populism). He is currently a Vice President of Naratif Malaysia (NARATIF), research fellow at the Institute of Political Reform and Democracy (REFORM), Visiting Scholar for Malaysian Youth Association (MBM), and is actively involved in political advocacy and literacy project for youth in Malaysia. Email: m_ariffasyrul@uitm.edu.my / ariffasyrul88@gmail.com.

Nik Adi Sukiman Nik Ahmad Fauzi, MSc, is an Administrative and Diplomatic Officer who has served for over 18 years in several government departments and ministries such as the Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Department Malaysia. He is currently completing his doctoral study on human trafficking at the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. He received his Bachelor of Science (Biotechnology) in 1999 and Master of Science (Human Resource) in 2003 from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). One of his publications is “Towards a Maritime Policy in Malaysia: Outline of a Comprehensive Framework” (co-authored with Rashila Ramli), a chapter in Connecting Oceans: Malaysia as a Maritime Nation (edited by H-D Evers, Abdul Rahman Embong & Rashila Ramli) published by UKM Press in 2019. His research interest is in policy studies and international relations with a focus on human security, human trafficking and migration patterns. Email: nikadisukiman@gmail.com.

Nor Hayati Sa’at, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in Development Sociology at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT). Her research focuses on the development of coastal communities, fisherfolk and estuarine communities. She has produced several works on social mobility and the implications of social change in coastal and fishing communities in Malaysia. She has held several administrative positions at UMT such as Deputy Director (Socio-Economic Development) at the Institute of Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development (2017-2019), Chairman of the Bachelor of Management Program (Policy and Social Environment), School of Social and Economic Development (2013-2016), and Deputy Dean (Research and Graduate Studies), Faculty of Social Development (2011-2013). She is a consultant-researcher in several government and non-government sponsored research projects. She has published many articles and books. She has authored, Keluar Dari Lingkaran: Mobiliti Sosial Komuniti Pesisir (Out of the Circle: Coastal Community Social Mobility) (2022), co-authored Penyelidikan Sains Sosial Malaysia Pasca-Merdeka (Malaysian Social Science Research in Post- Independence Malaysia) (2019); and co-edited Sains Sosial dan Kajian Pembangunan: Kumpulan Rencana Penghormatan untuk Profesor Abdul Rahman Embong (Social Science and Development Studies: Essays in Honour of Professor Abdul Rahman Embong) (2014). Email: norhayati@umt.edu.my.

Rashila Ramli, PhD, is Professor in Political Science, Principal Research Fellow and former Director (2013-2018) of the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), as well as Visiting Principal Fellow at the UNU- International Institute of Global Health. Her areas of specialization are Human Security, Gender and Development and Public Policy while her research areas are on Human Security, Promoting Social Inclusion through SDGs and Public Policies. In the public domain, Rashila was the immediate past President of the Malaysian Social Science Association (PSSM), a post she held for eight years between 2014-2022. She is a Member of the Council of Security Cooperation in Asia Pacific (CSCAP) Malaysia since 2012, former Assistant Secretary-General of the National Council for Women’s Organizations (NCWO) Malaysia from 2010-2020, Co-Chair of the Malaysian SDG Academic Network since 2020, and works closely with the All Party Parliamentary Group on SDGs (APPGM-SDG) Parlimen Malaysia. Email: rashila@ukm.edu.my.

Shazlin Amir Hamzah, PhD, is a research fellow at the Institute of Ethnic Studies (KITA), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. She holds a doctorate in ethnic studies focusing on nation branding and the role of popular patriotic songs in constructing national identity. Her research interests include the heritage of popular music, identity, nations and nationalism, and ethno-symbolism. Email: shazlin@ukm.edu.my.

Sity Daud, PhD, is Professor in Political Eeconomy at the Center for History, Politics and International Affairs, and Deputy Dean (Engagement and Alumni) at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. She is currently the President of the Malaysian Social Science Association (PSSM). Her single-authored book is Dasar Pembangunan dan Populisme di Malaysia [Development Policy and Populism in Malaysia], published by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Press in 2020. Her latest journal article is “The COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis in Malaysia: The Social Protection Program” in the 2021 issue of Journal of Developing Societies, Volume 37, Number 4. Email: sitydaud@ukm.edu.my.

Zaharul Abdullah, PhD, is a Lecturer at the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Development, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT). He is also a Research Associate at Akademi Profesor Malaysia (APM), a position created upon his leaving APM. Prior to this, he worked as a Research Officer at APM before serving temporarily as a Teaching Fellow at the Faculty of Human Ecology, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). He holds a PhD in Political Economy of Development from the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). He completed his BA and MA both in Political Science from UKM. His research interests include globalization, the role of the state in development, China studies and Southeast Asia-China relations. Email: encikzaharul@gmail.com.