IMAN Research (IMAN)

ABOUT
IMAN

Based in Kuala Lumpur, IMAN Research is a think tank which focuses on the domains of protective security, peacebuilding and sustainable development. Research is spearheaded by experts with extensive local and international experience in the areas of prevention/counter violent extremism, ethnic-religious issues, social policy and community resilience and engagement such as participatory approach in urban policy and research and psycho-social intervention with communities in or from conflict zones.

WHAT
WE DO

IMAN seeks to understand a country and a society on a national, regional and global scale, by understanding what makes society tick from the following perspectives of faith, history, social science, psychology, to name a few.

AREAS WE COVER/

SECURITY

IMAN’s foray into security has materialized in publications such as Believing In Extremism: What Drives Our Youths, which investigates how normative beliefs towards violent extremism (NBVE) are triggered within Malaysian youth. Today, IMAN continues to observe developments in Malaysia and the larger Southeast Asian region to explore the implications of good governance on security challenges and extremism.

ECONOMY

In many of IMAN’s projects and research, the need to understand the demographic’s socio-economic landscape influences the political and ethnic environment.

SOCIO-POLITICAL

A nation needs to be understood from the lens of sociology and culture. What is the language and cultural make-up of a people, and how does a country’s politics influence a nation?

OUR PUBLICATIONS

Youth Exodus: Forced Migration of Youths from Southern Thailand Towards Malaysia (Landscape Analysis)

This publication from IMAN Research is a landscape review of how the situation in the Deep South of Thailand has spilled over to Malaysia.

Enabling Extremism: Malay Women, Jihad For Malay(Sia) Weapons Of The Weak: Malay Women At The Forefront Of Malay Interest Movements

In a previous brief, I wrote and discussed about how Malay-Muslim women were increasingly being socialised into a hardline brand of Islam.

Enabling Extremism In Malaysia: The Rise Of Capitalist, Far-right Muslims And The Prelude To Lipstick Jihad

This paper’s title mentioned that this study is a prelude to a bigger study and project that IMAN Research is planning to pursue. For this brief, I will explain how women are persuaded to join religious classes, and how their consumption behaviour.

THE PANJIALAM MONOGRAPHS

Finding Student Voices in ‘Malaysia Baharu’

Despite the euphoric atmosphere that comes with Pakatan Harapan’s win in the last 14th General Election, students in across universities in Malaysia are still struggling

Public Protests, Private Spaces?

“I’m sorry, sir. You’re not allowed to record here.” I was told to put away my audio recorder by a grim-looking security guard. I had

IMAN Interviews Turkish Ambassador, Dr. Merve Kavakcı (Part 1)

Participants: Iman Zambasri, Elida Izani (I) & Dr. Merve Kavakcı (K). Read the interview here: Dr. Merve Kavakcı (Part 1) Dr. Merve Kavakcı (Part 2)

ONLINE PRESENCE

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to provide on the ground realities through rigorous academic and informal research, working with academics, journalists, activists and policy makers. The data is then provided to governments, development actors and specialists working in policy.

OUR VISION

We aim to be a regional think tank focusing on society, beliefs and perception, and have regional reach. ASEAN is our playground, while Malaysia is home.