Our People

Directors of Pusat KOMAS

Jerald Joseph

For the last 30 years, Mr Jerald Joseph has been a human rights defender and an experienced trainer consultant at both local and international levels on human rights issues concerning the rights of Indigenous Peoples, elimination of racial discrimination, and economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR).

Mr. Jerald Joseph recently completed his term of 6 years as a Commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) for the term 2016-2019 / 2019-2022 and Chaired the Working Group of Complaints and Monitoring of SUHAKAM.

Besides Chairing the Board at Pusat KOMAS, he also Chairs the Executive Council of FORUM-ASIA and is a member of the Greenpeace Southeast Asia board. He is also appointed as a member of the TikTok Asia-Pacific Safety Advisory Council and Chairperson of the Commission on Justice Peace, Institute De Le Salle Brothers, Rome.

Pioneering the programme of Non-Discrimination against Racial Discrimination since 2006 in Malaysian CSO context, he has developed advocacy and education tools on combating racial discrimination.

He is a senior CSO member who has led the Malaysian NGOs’ reporting to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group in Geneva. He was Chairman/Co-Chair of the ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ASEAN People’s Forum (ACSC/APF) process in 2015/2016.

He had served as a member of various human rights CSOs including the Commonwealth Foundation Advisory Body, Asian South Pacific Bureau for Adult Education (ASPBAE), Asia-Pacific NGO Steering Committee of World Conference against Racism (WCAR), etc.

He was Advisor/ Lay Chaplain (2003-2007) for International Movement for Catholic Students Asia-Pacific (IMCS) and Coordinator (2001-2004) for Pax Romana ICMICA Asia Pacific.

He was also appointed as a Member of the Consultative Council on Foreign Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia 2018-2020 and 2021 to 2022. He was appointed to the Independent Committee on Migrant Workers, Ministry of Human Resources Malaysia (2019-2020). He was also a Member of Selection Panel for Malaysia AICHR (ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission of Human Rights) appointed by the Foreign Minister of Malaysia (2018) and was a member of the Committee on Licensed Early Release of Prisoners, appointed by the Director General of the Prison Department Malaysia (2020-April 2022).

He also continues his involvement as a Human Rights Consultant and Trainer locally and globally.

Tan Jo Hann

Tan Jo Hann has over four decades of experiences in community organising and grassroots advocacy since 1980's till 2025. His expertise includes strategic planning, popular communications, developing and organising human rights and political campaigns. He has trained and mentored thousands of community organiser-facilitators in Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Timor Leste, Japan, and the Philippines.

He founded the Southeast Asia Popular Communications Programme (SEAPCP) in 1991, and established Malaysian Human rights NGO Pusat KOMAS in 1993. He was the President of PERMAS (Persatuan Masyarakat Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan), a network of urban poor squatter and slum communities (2000-2015).

He also served as a Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) local councillor (Ahli Majlis) in Selangor State (2008-2012).

Jo Hann obtained a BA in Journalism and Political Science from the University of the Philippines and was an active freelance photojournalist from 1986 until 2000. His writings on community organising include 'Get Organised' (translated to Indonesian, Japanese, Khmer, Vietnamese and Burmese languages), 'Walking on Water', 'Art of C.O.' and 'Popular Communications Facilitation'.

Staff Members of Pusat KOMAS

Faribel Maglin Fernandez

Operations/Finance Manager

faribel@komas.org

Faribel Maglin Fernandez

Faribel has completed three years of training at the Chartered Institute of Management Accounting (CIMA) and has accumulated over seven years of experience in various corporate sectors before joining Pusat KOMAS.

With 22 years of experience at Pusat KOMAS, she brings a wealth of knowledge and skills to the organisation.

She is responsible for overseeing the office’s finance and operations, as well as preparing funding proposals. Additionally, she served as the country representative for the ASEAN Peoples’ Forum from 2019 to 2023 and supports the CSO Platform for Reform, a network of 71 CSOs in Malaysia.

Faribel has played a crucial role in shaping the organisation’s direction and has significantly contributed to the Pusat KOMAS Non-Discrimination Programme. She has been actively involved in supporting the Orang Asli Network, JKOASM, for over 15 years.

Before joining Pusat KOMAS, Faribel gained valuable experience in the banking and business sectors.

Nurul Afrina binti Rosli

Programme Coordinator

afrina@komas.org

Nurul Afrina binti Rosli

Afrina is a freshly graduated scholar from Universiti Malaya, holding a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Strategic Studies (Hons) with a minor in Southeast Asian Studies. Currently serving as the Programme Coordinator at Pusat KOMAS, she is dedicated to advancing social justice and promoting inclusivity. During her university years, Afrina was actively engaged in student activism, advocating for critical social issues while participating in various capacity-building and development programs both on and off campus. Her passion for addressing inequality deepened when she became an alumni of the Bangsa Malaysia Workshop in 2023 organised by Pusat KOMAS, an experience that ignited her commitment to combating racism and discrimination at every level of society. Afrina also has gained experience at the Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism (SEARCCT), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she was involved in research and strategy development related to security issues and counter-terrorism efforts. This experience has strengthened her understanding of international security issues and the importance of diplomatic and advocacy efforts in addressing global challenges. Now, as part of the Pusat KOMAS team, Afrina continues to work towards fostering a more equitable and just Malaysia.

Yogavelan Balamurli

Project Management Coordinator

yoga@komas.org

Yogavelan Balamurli

Meet Yoga, our Project Management Coordinator at Pusat Komas. Holding a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Architecture from Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Yoga's role involves overseeing documentation and submissions for selected programs organized by Pusat Komas and its affiliates. Before joining our team, Yoga dedicated eight years as an enthusiastic volunteer for LYNK, the youth organization under La Salle Centre Ipoh. In this capacity, Yoga actively participated in organizing and partaking in programs focused on character building and development for young people of various ages. Yoga's academic background and extensive volunteer experience have equipped him with a profound understanding of the importance of communication and organizational skills in community and societal work, particularly in the realm of human rights.

Associates of Pusat KOMAS

Associates are individuals who continue to be committed to Pusat KOMAS’ goals and mission. These individuals have been providing support and assistance to Pusat KOMAS over the past years to advocate and champion equality and non-discrimination in Malaysia.

Adli Zakuan Zairakithnaini

Adli Zakuan Zairakithnaini is a law graduate from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). He is an EXCO member of Muslims Youth Movement of Malaysia (ABIM) that is in-charge of its International Affairs and coordinator for Human Rights and Counter Violent Extremism Task Force. Besides ABIM, he is also the High Council Member of the Malaysian Youth Council (MYC) and an EXCO member of Global Peace Mission Malaysia (GPM), a humanitarian agency, where he had the chance to coordinate several successful humanitarian missions to Arakan, Myanmar since 2012. Prior to joining Pusat KOMAS, Adli was the Director of Operation and Research Manager at Global Movement of Moderates Foundation (GMMF). He also had the experience to serve refugees in Malaysia as a Caseworker at International Rescue Committee and as Legal Aid Counsel at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) during his pupilage at Sreenevasan & Co under the guidance of Janini Rajeswaran and Ambiga Sreenevasan.

Barathi Selvam

Ilaiya Barathi Panneerselvam is an academic in the field of Communication and a Gunners for life. Fondly known as Barathi, he is a journalism graduate from Universiti Sains Malaysia and completed his Master of Communication in Screen Studies at the same university. The pain of embarking a research journey appears to be pleasurable as he is keen to advance his PhD in exploring the realm of national identity, representation and identity construction of marginalised communities in Malaysian Cinema with the hope of contesting or negotiating the notion of “national cinema” at his forever alma mater. Barathi is passionate about class inequality and discrimination in films and society which motivates him to involve in the issues close to his heart, especially on injustices unleashed against the poor, powerless and working class. He is an occasional writer who has numerous articles published in Aliran Online, Malay Mail Online and Free Malaysia Today. In his free time, Barathi finds solace in the music of A.R Rahman or immerses himself in the world of Harry Potter.

Arul Prakkash

Prakkash is a human rights activist, community organizer and media specialist leading WITNESS’ programmatic work in Asia and the Pacific. He works to strengthen the use of video to expose human rights violations in critical response situations in the region, such as war crimes, ethnic cleansing, forced evictions, elections-related violence, police abuse, and others.

He trains and supports frontline activist networks, grassroots movements, social network influencers, journalists, independent media, citizens, and NGOs in the use of video and technology for human rights, and especially their evidentiary uses. This includes video archiving and region-wide advocacy, as well as issues of digital security and physical safety.

Prakkash’s expertise includes the use of internet and social media technology for human rights education and advocacy in southeast Asia. Prakkash has been immersed in grassroots multimedia communications for more than 20 years in Malaysia, especially with civil society organizations, independent media, and activists. He also has extensive experience in using popular communications in empowering and advocating for human rights, and community organizing with urban poor youth, indigenous peoples’ communities and plantation workers.

Before joining WITNESS in 2014, Prakkash had for 10 years served as the executive director and senior programme staff member at Pusat KOMAS. He was also a steering committee member of BERSIH 2.0, a civil society movement advocating for free and fair elections in Malaysia. He later helped set up and co-coordinate a nationwide web-based election observation body, and trained hundreds of independent observers during the 2013 Malaysian general elections.

Prakkash recently directed the documentary film Melawan Arus (‘Against the Tide’), which traces the growing critical mass movement that toppled the 61-year Barisan Nasional government in Malaysia.

Adam Idris

Adam Idris is a legal scholar, educator, and activist with expertise in constitutional law, human rights, employment laws, and philosophy. With 17 years of experience in academia and industry, he has been actively involved in legal education and human rights advocacy.

As an academician, Adam has taught law at various institutions and continues to teach undergraduate law students. His research interests include jurisprudence, philosophy, employment laws, and human rights, with a focus on substantive equality and freedom of religion.

In his free time, Adam enjoys cycling, woodworking, and running. Having completed multiple Audax Randonneur challenges in Malaysia, he hopes to one day take part in Paris-Brest-Paris. He is also the kind of person who always returns his trolley to the designated area and keeps litter in his pocket until he finds a bin.

Jeremy Robeiro

Jeremy Robeiro was a former Programme Coordinator Pusat Komas with approximately 5 years of experience in Human Rights advocacy.

Prior to joining Pusat KOMAS, Jeremy was actively involved in La Salle Centre, Ipoh where he honed his skills as a trainer and facilitator since 2013.

Having a great admiration and appreciation for the law, combined with his creative and innovative training modules, Jeremy aspires to be a catalyst in promoting human rights to all citizens. Till date, Jeremy has conducted upwards of 30 workshops since he started training almost a decade ago.