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The Police Multicultural Advisory Group (PMAG) membership will comprise the number of persons determined and appointed by the Chair through the Selection process. To promote stability, the PMAG will maintain a minimum of 9 members and a maximum of 15 members.
Dr Zakaria Amin | Dr. Zakaria Amin is member of the Brisbane Southeast Employment Taskforce and his impact on the local job landscape is profound. Dr Amin has previously held a position on the QPS Logan Cross Cultural Liaison Unit's Multifaith Committee.
Dr. Amin's leadership extends to his position as Secretary for Australian Centre for Unity (Slacks Creek Mosque) and as the CEO at Queensland Training and Employment Services. Founding the Multicultural Mailer reflects his visionary dedication to multicultural connections. He is also Assistant Secretary General for nation-wide organization IPDC (Islamic Practice & Dawah Circle).
Notably, Dr. Amin received the Local Legend Award in 2024, AFRI Queensland Award in both 2022 &2023 and the Queensland Day Award in 2022, recognizing his significant contributions. His remarkable achievements, including the Brisbane Flood Recovery Award, highlight his unwavering commitment to community welfare. Dr. Zakaria Amin's exemplary work as the project coordinator for the Job Ready Program and lead of the Multicultural Career and Jobs Expo, whilst his compassionate efforts in housing assistance embody his holistic impact on the community. |
Dr. Jishu Das (JD) Gupta | Dr. Jishu Das Gupta, also known as JD, is a passionate supporter of multiculturalism in Australia. JD is a community leader and instrumental in establishing Mother Languages Conservations acknowledgment and preservation as well as bringing linguistic variety to numerous Federal and State sectors.
As a student from Bangladesh, JD came to Australia in 2003 and fell in love with this amazing land. JD and his wife are blessed with two lovely kids and enjoy travelling and quality family time.
JD represents the multicultural community in several platforms and collaborates closely with a variety of community organisations. His many hats include leading school P&C, advising community programmes & initiatives, preventing domestic and family violence, supporting the refugee community, integrating diverse groups through sports and collaborating with federal and state government bodies.
By sharing his knowledge and comprehension of the needs of the community as a whole, he hopes to serve as the voice of the diverse community and bring back community sentiments to the table for consideration in the execution of state policies and strategies. |
Reverend Emi Rahimov | Rev. Emil Rahimov's role is to oversee CALD communities within the Baptist Union of Qld. Currently Baptist Union of Qld has 42 diverse CALD communities across the State and their number is growing.
As migrant himself, Rev Emil experienced first hand challenges of migration, settlement and integration, which encouraged him to study deeper to develop his knowledge of migrants. This provided him the skills to assist migrant communities to settle successfully in their new home and enhance societal cohesion. He pursued his studies including post-graduate ones in Ministry, Law and Migration. Within his studies and work experience he learnt much about various cultures as well as the challenges of belonging. Rev. Emil continues to study in this field allowing him to contribute with the migration challenges making Qld even better place to live and enjoy.
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Habib Mahomed Jamal (MBA) PMAG Duty Chair | Habib Jamal is from South Africa and migrated first to New Zealand then to Australia. He has a Master of Business Administration Degree from the Southern Cross University, Australia.
Habib is a qualified Justice of the Peace and works in a medical centre in Gold Coast, Queensland. Habib is a trustee of the Gold Coast Mosque and has been the Treasurer of the Islamic Society of the Gold Coast for more than twenty years.
Habib is committed to working in the best interests of the Muslim and wider community and ensures that the less fortunate and needy have their needs catered for. As President of the Queensland Muslims Inc., he has served the community with high distinction and this is acknowledged by government and non-government leaders and he has won many awards for his efforts and contributions.
As President of QMI Habib is constantly on the road attending events and meetings with all levels of government, community organisations and faith communities. He is the spokesperson at main events and has worked with all resettlement agencies in relation to the Muslim community needs. He has had two citizenship ceremonies hosted by the Islamic Council of Qld under his leadership.
Current positions held are as follows:
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Gail Paratz OAM | Gail was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka and migrated at the age of 4 with her family to Australia and was raised and educated in Melbourne. She completed a Bachelor of Education and was a Secondary school teacher in the State and Catholic school systems in Victoria.
Gail re-located to Brisbane in December 1987 and taught at Brisbane Girls' Grammar School.
She is a Jewish delegate to the Abrahamic Forum of Jews, Christians and Muslims. Gail has been the Vice President of the National Council of Jewish Women of Australia, Brisbane Section for over 25 years. Gail was the Queensland President and an Executive Vice President of the National Board of the Jewish National Fund of Australia.
Gail was involved in the formation of the Queensland Faith Communities Council (QFCC) which was launched in May 2017 in the Multi Faith Centre at Griffith University.
Gail has chaired the QFCC since it was launched. The QFCC has grown to currently over 22 faith member bodies - Bahai, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Pagan, Quaker, Sikh.
Gail is an active member of the Jewish community in Queensland and is the Chair of Interfaith on the Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies.
Gail received an OAM in June in the 2023 King's Birthday Honours for 'Services to the Jewish Community in Queensland and to Interfaith.' |
Dr Xiang-Yu (Janet) Hou | Janet was trained as a doctor in China and epidemiologist in Australia and is currently an Associate Professor in health at The University of Queensland.
Janet has been a community champion in promoting safety and harmony through her previous roles of President of QLD Chinese Forum, Vice President of QLD Chinese Association of Scientists and Engineers (Q CASE) and Chair of CCCPCC (Chinese Crime Prevention and Consultative Committee). Janet has also been a regular Keynote speaker for the QPS Police Liaison Officer Conferences, sharing topics in cultural awareness and competency, trauma, and resilience.
Janet is a Buddhist, a member of Buddha’s Light International Association – QLD Branch (BLIA-Q), and a volunteer teacher for Sunday English Buddhism Classes at Chung Tian Temple for many years. She is the former Academic Dean at Nan Tien Institute of Higher Education in NSW, Australia’s first Government accredited, higher education provider with a strong focus on personal development in the areas of Buddhism, mindfulness, health and social wellbeing, and mental health.
As a registered Professional Academic Editor at the Institute of Professional Editors Ltd and a para-professional interpreter in Mandarin -English, Janet provides volunteer services for the local communities when they face language challenges in communication, such as documents development/editing and in-person meetings or events.
Janet believes to be able to serve the communities in need is indeed a privilege and an honour. |
Frances Wang | Frances is an IT professional and is specialised in IT infrastructure planning and management. She also involved heavily in multi-cultural community and is currently the Honorary President of Australian Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce (QLD).
Frances's experience with multi-cultural community includes:
Frances is enthusiastic in promoting a safe and harmonious community. |
Faysel Ahmed Selat | Faysel Ahmed Selat currently serves as the President of the Somali Community Association of Queensland Inc (SCAQ), a not-for-profit organization supporting Somalis across Southeast Queensland. He previously held the role of Vice-Secretary at the Queensland African Community Council (QACC), representing African community members across the state.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Faysel contributed significantly to the CALD COVID Health Engagement Project managed by the Refugee Health Network Queensland. He has also worked as a youth worker at the Queensland Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma (QPASTT) and as a peer researcher at both QUT and QACC.
Faysel holds a Bachelor of Health Sciences with a major in Public Health from the University of Queensland and is currently pursuing postgraduate studies in Governance and Public Policy. His areas of passion encompass community engagement, African youth advocacy, refugee health policy, international relations, and governance.
Faysel also works closely with several stakeholders and service providers to ensure Queenslanders of Somali background have appropriate information and support in place for community safety, health and wellbeing, and social and economic participation. Under Faysel's leadership, inclusivity and empowerment are paramount, with a focus on enabling individuals to reach their full potential. His overarching goal is to foster a safe, inclusive, and welcoming community for all.
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Muhammed (Haniff) Bin Abdul Razak | Haniff graduated from the Singapore Armed Forces Officer Cadet School as a Commissioned Officer and left the service in 1993 to follow his passion for community work. In 2006 Haniff was given a major assignment to develop and launch the Harmony Centre Singapore, a pioneer centre in interfaith and cultural engagement. The Centre was officially opened by the Prime Minister of Singapore. His work includes promoting inter-faith dialogue and engagement at all levels: leadership, community, grassroots, youths and students through seminars, workshops, experiential learning journey and visits.
Among his duties include mediating in religious and culturally sensitive issues, handling protocols and visiting requests from foreign dignitaries. Haniff served in United Nations as an Election Supervisor in Namibia and as a militarily liaison officer with the Ministry of Defence Singapore in Brunei. In 2007, through the Australian High Commissioner in Singapore, Haniff was invited to DFAT Canberra to share his works on interfaith issues including engagement with the Muslim community. |
Kamaljit (Kam) Kaur Athwal | Kamaljit Kaur Athwal AKA Kam Athwal, is a Sikh by Faith, and moved to Australia some 25 years ago.
Kam has been an influential figure in addressing Sikh and multicultural concerns within State and Federal Governments. She is a community advisor and consultant, often working closely with police services, health departments, education departments, Queensland Human Rights Commission and numerous faith communities and interfaith organisations. Kam was a member of the Queensland Police Ethnic Advisory Group until it was dissolved.
Kam facilitates information sessions, workshops, and seminars catering for school students, government departments and faith groups, as an awareness and introduction to the Sikh faith, beliefs, and practices. These presentations also extend to sessions delivered for the Sikh community, directly relating to health awareness for the elderly and those suffering chronic illnesses such as diabetes.
Since 2016, Kam has also been an active member of the Toowoomba Interfaith Working Group where she actively assists with organising and presenting at conferences, presenting on radio, and promoting interfaith work.
Kam is a visionary creating and facilitating ongoing education programs. She is the coordinator of the Queensland branch of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Academy, an ongoing project that has been teaching Sikh scriptures and Sikh history to Queensland students of all ages.
Kam has a focus on family life and is immensely grateful to her husband, daughter and son for their continuing support. Without them, Kam would not be able to achieve as much as she does, as their inspiration and support makes it all happen. |
Adhis Cole | Adhis has a strong connection to the diverse and vibrant African heritage and a deep commitment to uplifting the African community. She has a diverse background in leadership and a genuine passion for fostering unity. Her journey has shown the transformative power of collaboration through different professional landscapes and with challenges faced by the African diaspora.
Adhis is a community leader and professional, with extensive experience and a deep passion for promoting cultural awareness, understanding, and harmony. This has been shown through her participation in programs that aim to foster diversity and have gained valuable insights into the challenges faced by multicultural communities. These experiences have fuelled her desire to play an active role in bridging the gap for these communities.
Adhis holds a Bachelor degree in International Business from the University of Newcastle and a Bachelor degree in Nursing from the University of Wollongong and is also currently pursuing her Masters in Clinical Education. Her background as a Registered Nurse has allowed her to work with diverse groups and gain firsthand experience of the challenges faced by minorities in multicultural communities.
As Vice-Chairperson and Co-founder of FGMAA (Female Genital Mutilation Awareness Australia), Adhis and the team use empirical evidence to raise awareness on FGM/C in Australia and globally. Additionally Adhis is the Founder/CEO of Illuminate Insight FGMAA Consultancy Agency.
Furthermore, Adhis serves as the Team Lead Representative with the African Australian Advocacy Centre Queensland (AAAC, QLD), is a volunteer with the Queensland African Communities Council (QACC) and has recently established the African Australian Parents Support Council (AAPSC). She collaborated with community service and engagement providers to find solutions and strategies for the challenges facing African parents and youth.
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Pa Enari | Pa is a family man, with five sons. He has been married to his wife, Adele for more than 30 years. Pa is a matai, which is a (Samoan) chiefly title. His title is Fa’alafi, from the village of Safune, Savai’i, Samoa. A matai has responsibilities in the family and in the village, and which he carries his responsibilities proudly and dutifully.
Pa has worked in the recruiting industry for 25 years, in both New Zealand and Australia. Pa has developed effective job coaching and employment plans and works specifically on communicating with clients (employees and employers) to understand their goals and ambitions.
Pa holds an Advanced Diploma in Business and Marketing. Pa has a long history as a coach in rugby Union and, in addition to school rugby teams, coached regional and national rugby teams. Part of Pa’s approach with teams focuses on the importance of communication, the importance of personal responsibility for the team, learning team dynamics, and developing collaboration and leadership skills. Pa continues coaching of both men’s and women’s rugby teams at international level.
Pa is also currently working as a Culture and Welfare officer for FIP Group, working alongside local communities to bring awareness of spiritual, cultural, and recreational activities among the businesses FIP Group operates within.
Through the FIP Group, Pa supports PALM workers through spiritual, education, sporting events, and community engagement, working with a range of stakeholders including local Council, Police, Sports organizations, and churches. |
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