Chandra Muzaffar is a Malaysian political scientist, and an Islamic reformist and activist. He has written on civilization dialogue, human rights, Malaysian politics and international relations. Politically, he was Deputy President of Parti Keadilan Nasional from 1999 till 2001.
Muzaffar was born into an Indian family (Malayalis with roots in Kerala) as a Hindu but converted to Islam in his youth.
He received early education at Bidong English School, Ibrahim School and Kolej Sultan Abdul Hamid in Kedah.
Muzaffar was the first Director of the Centre for Civilisational Dialogue at the University of Malaya, in Kuala Lumpur. He then became the Noordin Sopiee Professor of Global Studies at the University of Science (USM) in Penang.
From 1977 to 1991, he founded Aliran Kesedaran Negara (Aliran); a multi-ethnic reform group in Malaysia for justice, freedom and solidarity. He later became the president of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST), a non-governmental organization (NGO) that aims to raise public consciousness on the moral and intellectual basis of global justice.