Dr Norshahril Saat is a Senior Fellow at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute and Coordinator at the Regional Social and Cultural Studies Programme.
In 2015, he was awarded a PhD in International, Political and Strategic Studies by the Australian National University (ANU). he received a BA (Hons) in Political Science and MA in Malay Studies from the National University of Singapore. He was a recipient of the following scholarships and awards: NUS MA Scholar (2008), Tun Dato’ Sir Cheng Lock Tan ISEAS MA Scholar (2008), MUIS PhD Scholar (2012), and Syed Isa Semait Scholar (2015).
He is currently a member of the Editorial Committee for the journal SOJOURN. He also sit as volunteer in numerous advisory boards, including as the Chairman of Malay Heritage Foundation (MHF).
Newly elected NU Chairman Yahya Cholil Staquf campaigned on a platform to depoliticise NU in the run-up to the next elections. But NU's new leadership line-up suggests otherwise.
A recent public spat between President Joko Widodo and a prominent cleric underscores how the former is facing challenges in reining in conservatives in his inner circle.
A member of the Council of Ulama Indonesia (MUI) was arrested recently for his involvement in Jemaah Islamiah. MUI should make amends by explaining how such an association came about, and effect a more rigorous recruitment regime.
The Ulama Council of Indonesia (MUI) has evolved from a state “lackey” to an organisation with significant influence. With the shariatisation project becoming more mainstream in Indonesia today, this could be MUI’s biggest window of opportunity to further assert its influence.
The current internal struggle within the PDI-P to determine the party's 2024 presidential nominee will have a significant bearing on how broader political alliances will shape up thereafter.
