Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia

Substantive justice in corruption cases can only be achieved if judges dare to redefine themselves as reflective and transformative actors. This study aims to analyse and formulate a reimagining of the judge’s role in achieving substantive justice in corruption cases in Indonesia. This study employs a juridical-normative approach, enriched by a socio-legal perspective, within an exploratory-analytical qualitative research design. The findings unequivocally challenge the judicial orthodoxy that positions judges merely as enforcers of norms, by asserting that in corruption cases, a rigidly neutral stance risks reproducing structural injustice. Thus, the reconstruction of the judge’s role as an architect of substantive justice is no longer an option, but a normative and ethical imperative. This study offers a novel approach through a critical synthesis of judicial independence, legal politics, and a sentencing paradigm that positions judges as reflective actors who dare to interpret the law progressively while remaining accountable, thereby simultaneously integrating deterrence, the recovery of state losses, and social justice. The implications call for fundamental reform of the penal system, the strengthening of protections for judicial independence against the pressures of populism and power, and a transformation of legal education that is no longer merely legalistic.

The digital transformation has fundamentally altered the landscape of Islamic dawah (preaching). However, existing studies remain fragmented across isolated platforms, specific demographics, or singular aspects of digital religious communication, lacking an integrated analytical framework that systematically maps the interrelationship between benefits, obstacles, and mitigation strategies. This qualitative study addresses this gap by conducting a systematic literature review (SLR) following the PRISMA protocol, synthesizing findings from 35 peer-reviewed articles published between 2022 and 2025, sourced from Scopus-indexed journals and Indonesian SINTA-accredited publications (SINTA 2–4). Employing thematic analysis based on the Braun and Clarke framework, this research identifies four categories of benefits (expanded reach transcending geographical boundaries, enhanced youth engagement, interactive religious discourse, and democratization of religious knowledge), four categories of obstacles (misinformation proliferation, content verification challenges, commercialization of religious messages, and algorithmic barriers), and three strategic responses (strategic content planning, ethical guidelines adherence through Maqasid al-Shariah, and multi-stakeholder collaboration). The study proposes an original Digital Dawah Ecosystem Framework that conceptualizes the dialectical relationship between enabling and constraining factors in digital religious communication, revealing a "digital dawah paradox" in which the same platform affordances that facilitate expanded outreach simultaneously create conditions for misinformation and content distortion. Theoretically, this study extends the Uses and Gratifications Theory into the domain of religious digital communication. It contributes to the Mediatization of Religion theory by demonstrating how platform logics reshape dawah practices. Practically, the findings offer an operationalized strategic model for dawah practitioners, religious institutions, policymakers, and platform operators seeking to optimize digital religious communication while maintaining Islamic ethical integrity.

The relationship between religion and the state has long been a subject of scholarly debate. This relationship is commonly classified into three dominant models: the integralist model, in which religion and the state are fully integrated; the secularist model, which maintains a strict separation between religious and political spheres; and the symbiotic-mutualistic model, which seeks a proportional balance between the two. This study examines how these frameworks are manifested in halal policy governance in Southeast Asia, with a particular focus on Indonesia and Malaysia. Employing a comparative qualitative approach, data were collected through document analysis, relevant scholarly sources, and interviews with key stakeholders. The findings indicate that constitutional recognition of religion does not necessarily determine the structure of halal policy governance. In Indonesia, halal policy is embedded within the state bureaucracy and religious authority through the Halal Product Assurance Law. In contrast, in Malaysia, halal certification is institutionalized under the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM), shaped by considerations of trade and economic development. In both cases, halal certification has evolved beyond a purely religious obligation into a strategic political–economic instrument with global relevance. This study concludes that halal governance reflects a hybridization of religious, political, and economic factors, highlighting the importance of analyzing halal policy within the framework of global political economy. The findings contribute theoretically to the growing field of halal political economy studies, particularly in understanding state–religion relations in Southeast Asia. Halal governance can no longer be viewed merely as an instrument of religious policy but has become a strategic domain within the global political economy.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) with stage F2–F3 fibrosis represents the main target population for emerging pharmacotherapies. However, data on short-term progression to cirrhosis (F4) in this group remain limited. We aimed to evaluate the incidence of cirrhosis in placebo-treated patients with fibrotic MASH in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). In this single-arm meta-analysis, we systematically searched PubMed and Cochrane Library from inception to December 13, 2024, for pharmacological Phase ≥ 2 RCTs reporting cirrhosis events (detected in liver biopsy or clinical signs) among patients with fibrotic MASH receiving placebo. Incidence rates were pooled using generalized linear mixed models with Clopper–Pearson confidence intervals (CIs). We identified a total of 11 RCTs, including 586 patients with fibrotic MASH. Total follow-up was 657.23 person-years (PYs), with 83 cirrhosis events reported. The pooled incidence rate was 13.09 per 100 PYs (95

Enhancement material (EM) has emerged as a widely accepted solution in grounding systems, primarily aimed at lowering the ground resistance value, RDC. The known advantages of EM is its high conductivity and inherent ability to absorb water. Despite its growing popularity and the advantages it offers, information on the effectiveness of EM in reducing the RDC of ground electrodes versus traditional installations in natural soil environments remains limited. The use of EM in different soil environments where the ground electrode is installed also needs to be addressed. As the characteristics of grounding systems under impulse conditions can differ from those at low voltage, a comparative analysis between the resistance measured at low voltage, RDC, and the impulse impedance derived from the application of impulse current, Zimp, is carried out in this work.