Watch analyst
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Experience dealing with Malaysian Government officials, Commercial sector, Civil society, NGO and INGO
Manager at FEMA - DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (2017-01 – Present)
Manage disaster centers after a Presidential-declared disaster under the Stafford Act. Preparing staff briefings to them on the humanitarian disaster, organizing, and implementing existing policies on a timely basis. Dealing with thousands of applications for Americans for disaster relief. Additionally, analyze, research, investigate, and document, with a view to assisting applicants.
Missions completed by utilizing exclusively DHS proprietary software. Supporting FEMA's primary goal of coordinating, analyzing, and responding to disasters that overwhelm local and state resources. Daily reporting to decision makers as deemed necessary.
Gathered information, verified same, write commentary for decision makers, add relevant data from various sources in government facilities. Worked with and in conjunction with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) structure, and emergency management operations for disaster assistance. Additionally, I am a qualified FEMA Linguist for services for Bahasa Malaysia, Bahasa Indonesian, and/or Tamil languages (when required).
Clearance: Public Trust. Intermittent work (Reservist) 2-6 months deployment (often 12-hour shift work, 7 days a week subject to change)
Independent Consultant/Researcher at Independent (2013-01 – Present)
Watch analyst covering current events-supporting stakeholders in ASEAN and South/East Asian Pacific region. Monitor civil unrest, government collapse, elections, political instability, disease outbreak, smuggling, black markets, forced labor, trafficking in drugs and people, nuclear proliferation, armed conflict, and terrorism that may impact the United States and its assets in the region (protect critical infrastructure). As an experienced legal practitioner and political analyst, I have advocated for the upholding the rule of law, advancement of democracy, fair elections, a free press, and separation of powers using the United States as a model.
As one example used – the United States' requirement of environmental impact statements and public participation in decision making under the National Environmental Policy Act in assessing environmental effects of proposed actions.
Legal Law Specialist at CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL PRIVATE ENTERPRISE (2020-09 – 2021-06)
Employed as a legal law specialist to examine laws in a Southeast Asian country. The terms of reference included "enforcement gaps" that related to human and drug trafficking, forced labor and corruption. Completed research project culminating in a 40-page report for the client.
The report covered the common law, statutes, rules and regulations, court system, enforcement agencies, and commentary relevant to the issues for decision makers. In addition, I completed a survey of Q&As from stakeholders to assist with the findings.
ASEAN-All Source Analyst at GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY (2010-01 – 2013-12)
As an intelligence/watch analyst for the ARGUS III Project (sponsored by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security), I covered 10 ASEAN member states. Collected, reported, analyzed open-source information (traditional mass media, the internet, specialized journals, studies, reports from conferences, and geospatial information among others). This included laws, legal systems, and controversial legal decisions.
Produced reports on threats relating to armed conflict, terrorism, and emergencies that may impact United States interests in the region. Additionally, reviewed complex texts, recordings in Southeast Asian languages and provided translations. The texts included difficult, colloquial writing and denoting expressions that are only natural to the native speaker.
This work required accuracy, capturing cultural subtleties and emphasis. In addition, I utilized my experience to capture, review, translate and analyze data for sponsors to enable decision making. The public information gathered included, among others, contentious legislation, controversial court decisions, civil unrest, central bank collapse, corruption, biodefense, armed conflict, political instability, nuclear proliferation, and monitoring of elections.
The work entailed using open sources - tracking disease (H5N1, H7N9, TB) in the region, smuggling, black markets, religious intolerance, environmental disasters, human rights abuses, terrorist organizations, documenting fatalities and damage to property. Wrote analyses on their probable causes and resolution. Additionally, my work entailed the assessment of regional Islamic radicalism that threatened the United States' interest and personnel.
Wrote long and short reports on a timely basis, briefed officials daily on matters that were important for the mission. This I achieved by utilizing systems and software to analyze, compile, report and disseminate intelligence data. (35 Hours Work-Full time)
International Research Fellow at CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAW (2007-01 – 2008-12)
Collected, researched, verified, and compiled laws that applied in Laos, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines, Brunei, Thailand, and Indonesia for American lawyers; undertook comparative studies of different court systems, policies, and regulations that applied. Gathered information and analyzed reports of alleged noncompliance with the rule of law, in particular land grabbing, environmental degradation (non-compliant with the environmental impact statements), fraud and human rights abuses by local governments and corporations on the indigenous population in disregard of domestic and international laws; wrote long/short reports on corruption/fraud by national and multinational corporations under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; conducted open source/desk research on corruption and fraud in ASEAN countries - in particular Laos, Vietnam, Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. (Part-Time) (20 hours)
Advocate and Solicitor (Attorney) at HIGH COURT AT MALAYA (1986-01 – 2003-12)
Attorney at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Areas of practice: general practice (Company, commercial, labor/employment), but specialized in civil law including Administrative, Elections and Constitutional laws. Work not confined to Peninsular and East Malaysia, but also the ASEAN region in collateral proceedings. Attended to hearings in India, Indonesia, Hong King, Singapore, and parties were from the ASEAN regions - including Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, and Thailand.
Research with advice was paramount, especially where there are different jurisdictions. Appearances before all the courts in Malaysia - the Supreme Court, High Court as lead appellate and trial lawyer in several leading cases. In addition, I made regular appearances before arbitrators/tribunals.
Provided advice on substantive and procedural law in Malaysia, but when required, I also researched other neighboring jurisdictions. Legal adviser to political parties and several Members of Parliament.
Master's in International Law in International Law – Washington College of Law, American University (2004-01 – 2007-12)
Master's in International Service in International Service – School of International Service, American University (2004-01 – 2007-12)
Barrister-at-Law (Grays Inn) in Law – Council of Legal Education School of Law
Bachelor of Laws in Law – University of London
