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Latest Updates
“Gender & Logistics in Malay Polygamy”: Upcoming Colloquium at CSEAS
On Thursday the 26th of May, I will be presenting a paper entitled “Gender & Logistics in Malay Polygamy: A Revolution of Rights, Roles & Responsibilities” at the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), Kyoto University, Japan. The talk will take place on site, and is open to the public. All are welcome. Date: Thursday, …
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New Appointment: JSPS Postdoctoral Researcher at the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), Kyoto University
I am thrilled to announce I have just begun my two-year appointment as a Postdoctoral Fellow for the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), hosted by the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), Kyoto University. At CSEAS, I will be collaborating with Professor Yoko Hayami on a research project entitled “The Familial and …
New Publication in Archipel
My most recent peer-reviewed article, “Chasing Fate & Fortune in the Borderland: Cross-Border Marriage and Migration at the Malaysian-Thai Frontier”, has just been published in the Southeast Asian studies journal Archipel. In this article, I demonstrate how female migrants from Southern Thailand migrate to Malaysia in search of fortune in two senses of the word: …
Research Themes

Halal Intimacy
The pursuit of love and intimacy “halal” (permissible) in the eyes of God, the state, and Malay adat (culture & traditions).

Cross-Border Marriage
Syariah-compliant elopements across the border to Southern Thailand.

Ethnography of Malaysian Syariah Courts
Marriage, divorce, and inheritance under the Malaysian Islamic Family Law.

Polygyny
n. When a man is married to two or more wives.

Moral Policing
Being intimate within limits: State-led moral surveillance in Malaysia, and the perils of moral transgressions.

The Malaysian Islamic Bureaucracy
The agents behind the nationwide bureaucratization of Islam in Malaysia today.

Love Magic & Sorcery
The politics of the supernatural, and the power struggle for love.
Where I work

Kelantan
From the bustling markets of Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah, to the halls of Kota Bharu’s Syariah Court.

Southern Thailand
Marriage tourism in Hat Yai & Songkhla. And the place for fantastic tom yum.

Kuala Lumpur
The beating heart of Malaysia. A productive site for a comparative fieldwork vis-à-vis Kelantan.

Negeri Sembilan
Up close and personal: The daily life of an anthropologist in a polygamous household.