Shad Saleem Faruqi

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Prof. Dr. Shad Saleem Faruqi is a Malaysian Senior professor of law who has served Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Selangor in various capacities from 1971 onwards - as Head of the Diploma in Law programme (1979-1984), as Assistant Rector (1996-1999), Assistant Vice Chancellor (1999- 2001) and Legal Advisor (1996-2006. He has also served on the faculties of law at the International Islamic University Malaysia and part time at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. At the age of 19, he graduated from Wesleyan University in the United States. He has served as a consultant for the countries Fiji, Timor Leste, Afghanistan and Iraq, advising them on their constitutional documents. In 1991as part of an Asia Foundation Project he drafted the constitution of the Republic of Maldives.

On behalf of Institut Teknologi MARA he drafted the Institut Teknologi MARA (Amendment) Bill 1996 that went on to become an Act of Parliament. In 1999 he drafted the Universiti Teknologi MARA (Amendment) Bill that was enacted by Parliament as Act A1073. The Act converted Institut Teknologi MARA into a full-fledged university.

At the end of 2004, the Barisan Nasional Back-Benchers Club of the Parliament of Malaysia appointed him as a consultant to advise them on reforming and empowering Parliament in the face of the executive branch's dominance of the Malaysian government. (Shad Saleem calculated that between 1991 and 1995, 80% of all bills introduced in Parliament by the executive were passed without amendment.)

In 2006 the Minister of Education appointed him Chairman of a Committee to propose amendments to the Universities and University Colleges Act 1972 [Act 30]. He is also a member of the Apex University Initiative; Distinguished Fellow of the Institute of Strategic Studies; and one-time member of the Human Rights Commission's Education Sub-Committee.

Between 1982-1985 he contributed periodic articles and editorials to the New Straits Times. Between 2001-2002 he authored a regular weekly column 'Facets of Our Constitution' for the Sunday Star. His column 'Document of Destiny' appeared in The Sun from 2006-2007. Presently he writes a weekly column Reflecting on the Law for the Star.

He is the author 'Human Rights, Globalisation and the Asian Economic Crisis', `Islam International Law and the War Against Terrorism', `Islam, Democracy and Development" and co-author of Media Law & Regulation in Malaysia. His book `Document of Destiny: The Constitution of the Federation of Malaysia'is in print. He has contributed 230 articles to legal periodicals, anthologies and newspapers and has presented 250 seminar papers in 15 countries including the USA, UK, Australia, Germany and Japan.