Hafiz obtained a bachelor’s degree from the Faculty of Administrative Science & Policy Studies, UiTM Shah Alam Campus. He is currently completing his master’s degree in Southeast Asia Studies from the Faculty of Arts and Social Science, Universiti Malaya. Before joining UNU-IIGH, he was attached to the Royal Thai Embassy, Kuala Lumpur from 2015-2019, handling matters involving Protocol and Administrative, and served at the Malaysian Ministry of Health (on contract), during the H1N1 outbreak.