2019 EDITION
ASM
Leaders | Advocators | Discoverers | Practitioners | Collaborators | Communicators | Innovators & Inventors of Science, Engineering & Technology
Think Science | Celebrate Technology | Inspire Innovation
2019 EDITION
CONTENT
02
page
About ASM
04
page
Senior Fellow
8
page
Fellows
42
page
Associates
44
page
Top Research Scientists Malaysia
58
page
Young Scientists NetworkASM
The Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) is a learned organisation representing the scientific minds of Malaysia. The Academy is mandated by the Academy of Sciences Malaysia Act 1994 to advice the government and stakeholders on matters related to science, engineering and technology (SET). Among its 14 functions, ASM places high importance on pursuing excellence in science, engineering and technology for the benefit of all. Thus, ASM carries out strategic studies and produces reports, position papers, blueprints, roadmaps and reviews which are independent, evidence-based, reliable and timely. The recommendations are designed to help policy makers and government officials comprehend the issues to enable them to design and develop practical and inclusive action plans. ASM studies are conducted by a team of analysts headed by Fellows who are subject matter experts in the relevant field. The knowledge, expertise and network of the Fellows are harnessed to enable ASM to effectively play its role as a thought leader in SET. ASM’s programmes are designed to develop and nurture talent in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) at various levels ranging from school to young scientists. ASM often collaborates and partners with corporations and ministries in reaching out to more young talents. Many of ASM’s flagship programmes are carried out as a pilot projects and later taken up by relevant players. Malaysia’s participation in the global SET arena positions its scientists in various platforms and programmes abroad. Aside from increasing Malaysia’s visibility in the eyes of the world, it also enhances the scientists’ experience and expertise apart from widening their network. As such, ASM actively participates in international and regional programmes, committees and platform, be it bidding for funding, leading a committee or co-organising fora.
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ASM’s works are communicated to the stakeholders in a manner that is easily understood by public and presented in a simplistic manner. Emphasis is given in presenting scientific facts and findings so that it is not only conveyed in a way that is engaging but also faithful to the evidence, as these efforts are imperative to elevate the national agenda and increase the literacy in STEM among our community. As a statutory body under the Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change (MESTECC), ASM now consist of 376 Fellows across eight disciplines ranging from Medical Sciences to Social Sciences and Humanities. With the widespread of expertise, ASM’s voice in addressing matters of national importance is now unified and more inclusive. ASM is further supported by 40 Associates, 178 members of Young Scientists Network (YSNASM) and 166 Top Research Scientists Malaysia recipients and 10 Mahathir Science Awards Laureates in carrying ASM’s mandate effectively.
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GO BEYOND, BE PROFOUND, MAKE A DIFFERENCE
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Academician Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Khalid Yusoff FASc 4 | ASM Expert Network
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SENIOR FELLOW
ASM appoints Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Khalid Yusoff FASc as a Senior Fellow in recognition of his contribution in the field of cardiology through practice, teaching and research as well as championing research integrity in Malaysia.
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Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Khalid Yusoff FASc earned his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from University of Melbourne. He then brought his knowledge of medicine and cardiology back to Malaysian shores, where he began his medical career as a cardiologist and as a lecturer in UKM. He was instrumental in setting up the Heart Centre at UKM and the UKM Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI). He is currently the Vice-Chancellor and President of the UCSI University. Dato’ Dr Khalid’s prolific and extensive research portfolio covers cardiovascular risk factors, myocardial infarction/acute coronary syndrome, heart failure, hypertension and stroke. His research is cited widely by his peers and continues to be published in high-impact refereed journals. His expertise was also sought by national and international ministries and centres of excellence. While he was the Founding Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at UiTM from 2004 to 2013, Professor Khalid demonstrated his leadership role through his contribution to the development and implementation of the Faculty’s medical course. In addition, he established the Institute for Medical Molecular Biotechnology (IMMB) and the Centre for Translational Research and Epidemiology (CenTRE). As part of this process, he forged strategic international partnerships linking UiTM’s medical faculty to a wide range of global universities and research institutes. Evidently, his efforts have substantially expanded the Malaysian medical workforce and national medical research.
Contributions in Medicine and Cardiology
Dato’ Dr Khalid has contributed to the national development of SET, especially in the field of medical and health science. Notably, he cochaired the Public Research Assets Study in collaboration with the New York Academy of Sciences, while serving as a member of the National Science and Research Council from 2011 to 2015.
Furthermore, he represented Malaysia at the Global Research Council (GRC) since 2012 where he was intensively involved in the Open Access debate to protect the interest of developing nations. As a result of his persistence effort, he was able to get Malaysia to host the GRC Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting in Kuala Lumpur in 2016. Besides that, Dato’ Dr Khalid was a member of the National Science Council from 2016 to 2017. Dato’ Dr Khalid research has made a tremendous impact on society. As a programme leader for REDISCOVER study, he led the largest cohort study in Malaysia on cardiovascular disease that involved 13,500 participants. Also, he was the National Leader and member of the Steering Committee of the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) Study, which involved nearly 200,000 participants from 20 countries around the world. This study sought to better understand the roles of various food groups on human health, as well as a robust and comparative evaluation of national health system around the world. Dato’ Dr Khalid has also led several critically important clinical trials that shaped clinical practice around the world. These projects provided the basis of shaping clinical practice worldwide, especially in the treatment of heart attacks, heart failure, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia and cardiovascular risk factors.
Contributions to ASM
Dato’ Dr Khalid is an active member of the Academy. He has contributed as ASM Council Member since 2012. In 2014, he was appointed as the Chairman of Medical and Health Sciences Discipline, spanning two years. Dato’ Dr Khalid was also instrumental in the development of the Malaysian Code of Responsible Conduct in Research (MCRCR) under the Science 2 Action initiative of the Science Advisor Office to Prime Minister. Upon the endorsement of MCRCR by the National Science Council, he now leads a Committee on Research Integrity at ASM focusing on training researchers on research ethics. His involvement also extends to be a delegation leader to international programmes as well as research proposal evaluation exercises on matters related to medical sciences in Malaysia.
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Contributions at International Level
Dato’ Dr Khalid has served in many international events as a researcher, keynote speaker and recognised by peers around the world. He was invited as a speaker for subject related to hypertension, cardiovascular risk and diabetes by numerous international universities and committees from ASEAN and European countries such as Royal College of Physician and Surgeons of Ireland in Dublin, International Society of Hypertension Fukuoka, and World Health Organisation. Since 2012, he represented Malaysia at the Global Research Council and he has negotiated several policies which aspired cohesive and inclusive research and scientific ecosystem around the world. Awards and Recognition Dato’ Dr Khalid’s accomplishments in medicine and cardiology have earned him plenty of accolades from national and international centres of excellence. Among them are the Albert Schweitzer Gold Medal (2001), World Academy of Medicine 2001 and Gold Medal at Geneva Annual Exhibition 2006. At a national level, he received several awards including Anugerah Tokoh Akademik UiTM 2011 and the Royal Awards from the Sultan of Kelantan in 1999 and 2000. Additionally, he was conferred several Fellowships from various national and international bodies such as the Royal College of Medicine of Physicians of Edinburgh, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, the Malaysian Scientific Association, the American College of Cardiology and the Islamic World of Academy Science.
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ASM Fellowship consists of distinguished scientists, engineers, technologists and social scientists that have made exceptional contributions in their fields. Individuals with merit, possessing high integrity demonstrating utmost decorum at all times with essential characteristics of an ambassador of ASM at national and international level are nominated each year. Fellowship is awarded based on a stringent selection process in eight disciplines. A fellowship of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia is the highest recognition to the best scientific minds from the Government of Malaysia. BIOLOGICAL, AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES CHEMICAL SCIENCES ENGINEERING SCIENCES INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMPUTER SCIENCES MATHEMATICS, PHYSICS AND EARTH SCIENCES MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AND INDUSTRY SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES
79 43 71 20 48 68 38 9
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71 (19%)
305 (81%)
2019
FELLOWS
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Professor Dr Abdul Rahman Omar FASc Universiti Putra Malaysia
Biological, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Upon the completion of his PhD, Professor Dr Abdul Rahman Omar joined the Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (FVM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) as a lecturer. Eventually, he was appointed as Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases in 2008. He has served as the Head of Laboratory of Molecular and Cell Biology, Institute of Bioscience (IBS), UPM, in 2004, and later progressed as the Deputy Director at IBS from 2006 to 2011 where he was promoted to Directorship. Equipped with more than 20 years of teaching and research experience in the area of immunology, virology and genomics, Professor Abdul Rahman has successfully conducted researches mainly on the fundamental study of poultry viruses for the development of diagnostics and vaccines. He aspires to become a world-class scientist and educator. He is committed and loyal towards the advancement of science and technology which were manifested by the success of his graduate students who have since gone on to realise their dreams and have risen to the occasion in applying their recently acquired knowledge and training. Professor Abdul Rahman’s expertise is highly sought after by the Department of Veterinary Services and various industries related to livestock, as well as poultry vaccine dossier study. He is also consulted to assist Malaysia in taking the necessary prudent control measures against viral diseases in poultry. He has developed rapid diagnostics for the detection of several poultry pathogens, including avian influenza virus (AIV) H5N1 and H9N2. The diagnostic test methods developed against poultry pathogens have been used at accredited diagnostic labs of the FVM and IBS UPM, in the testing of samples from Malaysia and other countries in this region. Besides diagnostics, he has also developed and commercialised vaccines against several poultry diseases, including reverse genetic vaccine against Newcastle disease.
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Professor Dr K Sudesh Kumar C Kanapathi Pillai FASc Universiti Sains Malaysia
Professor Sudesh is well-known both in Malaysia and abroad for his research on biodegradable plastics. He got fascinated with the fact that microorganisms can synthesise a 100% biodegradable plastic-like material. Despite having started this research back in 1992 for his master’s project, he still finds this topic intriguing even 27 years later. Throughout his 18 years of service in USM, Professor Sudesh has significantly contributed to the research and development of biodegradable plastics in Malaysia. His work has been recognised and awarded by ASM as one of the recipients of the Top Research Scientists Malaysia (TRSM) twice over. Moreover, he was also awarded the Excellent Scientist recognition by the Ministry of Higher Education, and the Excellent Service Award by USM three times in 2006, 2011 and 2017. At USM, he has served as the Deputy Dean and Director of Industry Linkages. Currently, he is consulted by RIKEN, Japan to advise on promoting cooperation between RIKEN and research institutions in Asia, including Malaysia, as well as coordinating such cooperation. Professor Sudesh is actively involved in international research collaborations. His research activities are funded by grants from the university, ministries as well as industries from both within Malaysia and abroad. To date, he has signed 10 Memorandum of Agreements (MoA) with international research organisations on several research projects. He is also a member of the ASM’s task force for the establishment of the National Center for Materials Science. 11 | ASM Expert Network
Biological, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Professor Dr K Sudesh Kumar obtained his PhD from Saitama University in 1999 and subsequently became a Special Postdoctoral Fellow at RIKEN, Japan. He returned to Malaysia under the Brain Gain Programme to join the School of Biological Sciences, USM as a lecturer in 2001 and received a full professorship ten years later.
Professor Mohd Talib Latif FASc Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Biological, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
An aerosol is a mixture of gases, particulate matters and water vapour in ambient air. The composition of aerosol is very important in assessing air quality, especially during periods where understanding atmospheric chemistry is crucial. Professor Mohd Talib’s life work revolves around understanding this field of research. Professor Mohd Talib’s research on atmospheric aerosol studies was a challenging one, requiring him to do round-the-clock data collection, which was something that deterred many students from taking up this field of research. However, thanks to his dedication and diligence, his extensive library of data were referred to by environmental researchers and the Department of Environment (DOE) during the Pinatubo eruption of 1991 in the Philippines. Professor Mohd Talib cites air quality sampling as the main challenge in his field. Unlike water quality sampling that only requires the collection of one sample from the given area, air quality sampling requires samples to be taken consistently within a 24-hour period. In addition, high-quality instrumentation is also necessary to determine the quality of data. Professor Mohd Talib is fortunate to have fostered good relations with the DOE, enabling access to various instruments and good-quality secondary data. Professor Mohd Talib understands that young children are more susceptible to air pollution. Therefore, he works closely with schools to assess indoor and outdoor air quality. He also conducts educational trips, such as the one where he was in the Lake Chini vicinity, educating children about air pollution and climate change. Professor Mohd Talib believes science is an important tool that can help human overcome challenges and provide solutions to benefit the community. Similarly, understanding atmospheric chemistry helps him comprehend the short-term and long-term effects of air pollution.
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Professor Dr Raja Noor Zaliha Raja Abd Rahman FASc Universiti Putra Malaysia
Professor Zaliha had the opportunity to work closely with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Malaysian astronaut, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, to send proteins up to space, where the microgravity environment is conducive to protein crystallisation and studying its behaviour. However, sending proteins into space is not an easy task – even with a formal agreement between Malaysia and JAXA, sending cargo into space is an expensive endeavour. Necessity is indeed the mother of creativity, as the need to minimise cargo load has led to the development of simple yet sophisticated hardware to contain the proteins that will be brought up into space. Moving forward, Professor Zaliha hopes to see Malaysia possessing the equipment necessary in advancing the study of protein structures, such as the oft-mentioned synchrotron. Reducing reliance on equipment from other countries is a costeffective step and will empower the local scientific community by enabling research to be carried out relatively easier and quicker.
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Biological, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
The sense of curiosity and love for science since childhood has driven Professor Raja Nor Zaliha into the world of proteins, specifically the elucidation of the structure and function of proteins. The field of protein structure studies is relatively new in Malaysia. The country is quite late to the game as we lack many necessary equipment and the sheer difficulty of crystallising proteins. However, Professor Zaliha stands as one of the pioneers of this research field.
Biological, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Professor Dr Tan Chin Ping FASc Universiti Putra Malaysia
Professor Dr Tan Chin Ping had the privilege to serve as a JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Food Research Institute in Japan from 2002 to 2004. After serving the department for more than 10 years, he was appointed to lead the department from 2013 to 2018. Currently, he leads the research group on Fats and Oils Technology, one of the major research programmes at UPM. Professor Tan is an accomplished and internationally recognised scholar in the area of lipid science and technology. His peers hold him in high regard for his dedication towards improving the quality and safety of palm oil. He plays advisory roles to a range of food companies and the Food Quality and Safety Division of the Ministry of Health. Professor Tan serves as an expert panel in SIRIM’s numerous working groups related to coconut, and fats and oils products. Various
agencies across the ASEAN region, China and Japan have sought his expertise for keynote and plenary lectures. On top of that, many overseas agencies appoint Professor Tan to evaluate and improve research proposals from developing countries around the world. Currently, he is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Food Research Journal and also serves as an editorial board member for a number of renowned journals. Professor Tan’s passion for research has earned him numerous awards and recognitions. In 2013, he was recognised as one of the Top Research Scientists in Malaysia. From 2011 to 2017, he was a visiting professor at the College of Science, King Saud University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and has been appointed as a visiting professor at various public universities in the region.
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Universiti Putra Malaysia
Professor Dr Tan Wen Siang cited two prominent figures in his life as sources of inspiration: his PhD supervisor and inventor of the Hepatitis B vaccine Professor Sir Kenneth Murray, as well as ASM Fellow and his master’s degree mentor Professor Datin Paduka Dr Khatijah Yusoff FASc. Their energy, courage, generosity and passion for science have inspired him to study molecular biology. Impermanence is a challenge that Professor Tan says we are all facing today – the everchanging policies and dwindling opportunities are hindering the current crop of scientists from going as far as they can in their researches.
Professor Tan was once an active member of the Education Chamber of Selangor, where he acted as an advisor. His time was spent there giving talks and organising activities such as study groups and classes for the less fortunate school children of Selangor. When asked about his hopes and dreams for the future of S&T in Malaysia, Professor Tan yearns for the day when a Malaysian is awarded the Nobel Prize; As with any good educators, he hopes to see his students doing well, graduating with flying colours and go on to secure jobs relevant to their fields and be successful in life.
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Biological, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Professor Dr Tan Wen Siang FASc
Professor Dr Khozirah Shaari FASc Universiti Putra Malaysia
Professor Khorizah’s scientific interest began in her youth, as a student who was keen on studying chemistry. She cites her supervisor, Professor Peter Waterman, as a major source of inspiration. Dubbing herself a “molecule hunter”, Professor Khozirah combs through the thickets of Malaysia’s rich natural resources to find new compounds that are beneficial for humanity.
Chemical Sciences
Malaysia is a treasure trove of biological resources, yet a large part of it is yet to be explored, especially for the use in drug discovery. Professor Khozirah opines that Malaysia’s biological diversity, coupled with its scientific capacity, could be a massive advantage for the nation in the drug discovery field. She cites the sustainability of resources as a challenge in her field. Here, resources are not limited only to natural resources; it refers to willpower and the knowledge to further one’s journey in this field. Without adequate funding, which is another challenge, we cannot have sustainable access to other resources. Therefore, Professor Khozirah calls for the nation to view funding to scientific research as an investment to bring positive change to the country. As most drugs are developed in the Western world, there are still a lot of diseases that have no cure as these are not prevalent to the modern developed countries. Professor Khozirah hopes Malaysian scientists will tap into the country’s rich biological resources to discover new drugs to tackle diseases that are more prevalent in developing countries. Professor Khozirah also has a knack for mentoring people, especially the young scientists. She finds that these budding young minds are more receptive and spirited in the pursuit of discovery, and she loves encouraging them to explore and develop new ways. Her ability to guide people in the right direction allows for those working with her to have a better perspective in their work, and she delights in seeing them succeed.
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Professor Dr Rusli Daik FASc Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Polymers have received a bad reputation in recent years, being a non-biodegradable material that contributes to environmental issues. This has led to Professor Dr Rusli Daik’s research on biosynthetic polymers, a refinement of the conventional polymer preparation.
Extracting polymers from natural resources is merely taking, not making new polymers; Professor Rusli takes it a step further with synthesising new polymers through sustainable methods. To achieve this, he works closely with scientists in the fields of biology and enzymology, striving to understand organisms such as microbes and enzymes. Combining their expertise in biology/enzymology and his chemistry knowledge, he found a way to synthesise polymers via a biological approach. It is not an easy process, but Professor Rusli takes it as a process of self-improvement. Professor Rusli finds it challenging to find students who have the right attitude and scientific background to work with in his research, due to its multidisciplinary nature. The research might be chemistry-based, but the process involved is more biological in nature. He attributes this to the way the syllabus is taught in school and university where science subjects are taught separately. He hopes that the syllabus will soon be modified to suit the cross-disciplinary nature of the current scientific landscape.
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Chemical Sciences
Biosynthetic polymers are prepared via biological means, either with bacteria, fungus, or enzymes. This contrasts with the traditional preparation methods using petroleum. The timing of Professor Rusli’s research coincides well with the increasing awareness and need for environment-friendly, biodegradable and sustainable materials.
Professor Dr Yatimah Alias FASc University of Malaya
Chemical Sciences
Professor Yatimah Alias is a natural achiever who worked her way into University of Malaya’s highly competitive foundation programme in the early ’90s. Her diligence, determination and hard work, enabled her to excell through tertiary education and procure a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry. Inorganic Chemistry has always remained as her forte but being an enterprising researcher, she dwells into various forms of applications and impactful ventures. Professor Yatimah is an accomplished electrochemist and possess various potentiometric skills, and has delved into supramolecular-coordination chemistry, ionic liquids synthesis & applications, nanocomposites and sensor development & fabrications. She has published in more than 100 journals in ISI-ranked publications to date. Excelling not only in research, Professor Yatimah served two terms as the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Science. She was promoted in 2014 as the Director, Centre for Curriculum Development which was recently rebranded as the Academic Strategic Planning Centre (ASPC). Her adept administrative skills have helped hone and tune numerous impactful academic programmes for the development of future graduates. She also works closely with the Ministry of Education to bring time-relevant changes to existing practices. A passionate researcher will never fail to understand the emphasis of STEM on our future generations. Together with the aid of the Faculty of Science, she successfully organised Kem Apresiasi Sains in 2017. She also participated in the first National STEM Seminar in 2018. Professor Yatimah aspires to ensure the future generation will be able to go to great lengths, especially in the field of scientific discovery. She hopes students will be educated in an ever-developing system which paves the way for time-relevant modifications. She strongly believes educated students will bring a sound future for Malaysia. 18 | ASM Expert Network
Professor Ir Dr Dominic Foo Chwan Yee FASc University of Nottingham Malaysia
Professor Ir Dr Dominic Foo Chwan Yee is a world-leading researcher in process integration for resource conservation and carbon footprint reduction. He graduated with BEng, MEng and PhD degrees in chemical engineering from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).
Professor Ir Dr Foo has established international collaboration with more than 50 researchers in Asia, Europe, American and Africa. He works with his international collaborators in developing various tools and techniques to address industrial resource conservation problems, such as the recovery of water, solvent and gaseous wastes. Professor Ir Dr Foo is active in various professional bodies. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), a Chartered Engineer (CEng) with the UK Engineering Council, a Professional Engineer (PEng) with the Board of Engineer Malaysia (BEM). He serves as Malaysia Chair for Education Special Interest Group of IChemE since the year 2014. From 2019, he serves as the President for Asia Pacific Confederation of Chemical Engineering (APCChE). Professor Ir Dr Foo received several awards including the Innovator of the Year Global Award 2009 (IChemE), Young Engineer Award 2010 (IEM), Outstanding Asian Researcher and Engineer 2013 (Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan), Vice-Chancellor’s Achievement Award 2014 (University of Nottingham) and Top Research Scientists Malaysia 2016 ASM. 19 | ASM Expert Network
Engineering Sciences
Since then, Professor Foo joined University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM) as an Assistant Professor. He was promoted to a full professorship at the age of 34, a mere five years after completion of his PhD. He bears the title of Professor of Process Design and Integration. He also founded the Centre of Excellence for Green Technologies in UNM and serves as the Founding Director up until now.
Professor Dato’ Ir Dr Eric Goh Kok Hoe FASc Universiti Sains Malaysia
Engineering Sciences
Professor Dato’ Ir. Dr. Eric Goh Kok Hoe, Malaysia’s pioneer mining (mineral resources) professor nationwide, is an outstanding researcher in the field of mining and quarrying engineering (mineral development) with over 38 years international and national academic, research and industrial experience. With his extensive expertise, he has pro-actively contributed to the Government and was appointed as the Panel Expert for the Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources. He was also the Project Coordinator for the development of the Mineral Industry Development Master Plan which was eventually approved by Parliament as Malaysia’s National Mineral Policy (NMP2). Highlights of his contributions include Mineral Development Project proposals to the Government under RMK12, co-development of the Standard Operating Procedures for Bauxite Mining and offer of leadership in obtaining the global ISO/ IQNet/UKAS Quality Certification for Professional Training. Professor Dato’ Eric Goh, a prolific author of over 200 technical publications which includes 11 engineering reference books; is often invited as International Keynote Speaker, International Visiting Professor and Session Chairman to over 200 international and local technical conferences and seminars worldwide. He is also annually invited as an Expert Speaker in STEM/Engineering Education Seminars which have helped enlightened over 1200 aspiring university students on Academic Excellence. In recognition of his expertise, Dato’ Eric Goh received the Highest Global Award from the Institute of Quarrying UK, ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisations (AFEO)’s Honorary Membership Award, Distinguished Engineer of the Year Award and Distinguished Individual Award (International Category). In 2018, he was also selected for the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award (USA). At the national level, he is also the recipient of Institute of Quarrying Malaysia’s National Award of Excellence and Staff Quality Award - Best Lecturer (Teaching Category). His leadership contributions include appointment as the Honorary Executive Director of the Academy of Quarrying and elected to IEM State Branch Chairman for The Institution of Engineers Malaysia (2006 - 2008). Professor Dato’ Eric Goh has also proven his ability in capacity building when he was accredited as a Certified Technical Course Trainer by the German-Malaysian Institute to help those who need professional training in the mineral resources (mining and quarrying) industry. As appointed Delegation and Panel Head of the Engineering Accreditation Council - Board of Engineers Malaysia (EAC-BEM) he has also co-accredited over 70 international and national university programmes.
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Professor Dato’ Ir Dr Kamal Nasharuddin Mustapha FASc Universiti Tenaga Nasional
Dato’ Nasharuddin observed that there were many cases of building fires happening in Malaysia, causing upwards of RM1 billion in losses, aside from human casualties. Concrete is a stable material used prevalently in constructing buildings and structures. However, extreme conditions might be able to compromise its strength. Therefore, Dato’ Nasharuddin seeks to gain knowledge on the versatile material to be translated into something beneficial for the industry and the people. In the field of structural fire engineering, experimental work/real-life testing can be conducted. However, it is expensive to create physical models of buildings, burn it down and see how long it will take to burn down in order to understand the behaviour of concrete at elevated temperatures. This action is quite literally burning money away; hence, a more practical and cost-effective solution needs to be created. This is where Dato’ Nasharuddin’s computer simulations come in. Computer models are essential in understanding the behaviour of concrete in elevated temperatures. Dato’ Nasharuddin sees that the prevalence of digitalisation, Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) brought on by Industry 4.0 is changing the landscape of the industry in a big way. Therefore, he hopes that universities can improve the students’ competitiveness and relevance in the future, by making sure that they are kept abreast of the ever-changing technological advancement. 21 | ASM Expert Network
Engineering Sciences
The behaviour of building materials such as concrete are usually studied at regular temperatures and ideal conditions; Professor Dato’ Ir Dr Kamal Nasharuddin expanded the boundary of knowledge to cover those previously not understood by delving into its behaviour at elevated temperatures. Coupled with his mastery in structural fire engineering, he developed and harnessed the power of computer simulations to better understand the behaviour of concrete at elevated temperatures.
Engineering Sciences
Emeritus Professor Ir Dr Masjuki Hassan FASc International Islamic University Malaysia
Professor Emeritus Ir Dr Masjuki recalls one of the main reasons that drove him to become an educator at UM: to be a source of inspiration and empowerment for students, especially the Malays. He wanted his success stories to inspire students, and to show them that it is possible for them to achieve the same stellar results. He considers it a personal satisfaction when he achieved the title of Profesor Khas Gred A in his career, received the Merdeka Award in 2017, and was bestowed the title of Professor Emeritus by DYMM Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah at the 2018 UM Convocation Ceremony.
Currently, he actively contributes to the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB)’s research on the reliability and suitability of high-percentage mixture of biodiesel with regular diesel for use in diesel automotive engine.
The specialised sub-fields of Energy, Tribology, Bio-fuels & Bio-lubricants, Automobile Engine Performance & Emission Monitoring, Lube-oil Based Condition Monitoring, and Energy Efficiency & Policy is where Professor Masjuki’s talent in mechanical engineering shines through.
Besides that, his involvement with Majlis Profesor Negara (MPN) has allowed him to extend these activities to states such as Terengganu and Sarawak. Several ministries and organisations have engaged with Professor Masjuki to seek his knowledge and expertise.
He is also actively improving and empowering the local community. He was appointed as a committee member of the Kampung Kelang Gate Mosque in religious services by the KDYMM Sultan of Selangor. Through his prominent role at the Mosque, he is able to inject knowledge and inspiration into religious based activities.
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Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd
Reaching deep into his well of knowledge, Ir Ts Mohd Haniffa sought to find solutions to ensure access to clean water is available to everyone. He acknowledges the fact that good water management, especially for rivers, is still lacking in Malaysia. He also realises that good water management ties in with sanitation, which by extension is a field closely related to public health. As a municipal engineer working with the city hall, he noticed the lack of proper sewerage management in the country. This drove him to deep dive into the area of water and wastewater management. As countries’ population grow, becoming more industrialised, water usage will increase contributing to pollution; this necessitates a fit-for-purpose sanitation system that will help deal with the ensuing water crisis and sanitation problems, which
will greatly affect public health. Novel and ingenious ways to solve the water crisis will always be available, thanks to brilliant scientists and engineers. However, without an equal or greater social and political will, these ideas will never bring new life to water. Ir Mohd Haniffa emphasises the importance of knowledge in all aspects of life. Expertise must be made known to the public, must be implementable, and must be shared. With the ever-increasing water use, science and technology must come into play to optimise the use of this limited water supply sustainably. Ir Mohd Haniffa hopes that through his Fellowship with ASM, his expertise along with others in the field can be shared throughout the world.
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Engineering Sciences
Ir Ts Mohamed Haniffa Abdul Hamid FASc
Professor Dr Nik Meriam Nik Sulaiman FASc University of Malaya
Professor Dr Nik Meriam Nik Sulaiman obtained her Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical) and Masters in Applied Science from the University of New South Wales, Australia. She then successfully completed her PhD in Chemical Engineering at Birmingham University, United Kingdom in 1982. Her research interests have always been grounded in the environment leading on to sustainability science with a special leaning towards the participation of engineers for a sustainable future.
Engineering Sciences
She has dealt extensively in areas pertaining to environmental management strategies and sustainable processes, especially relating to Malaysian industries including the creative sector such as batik making. She believes strongly in transdisciplinary research and knowledge sharing to make inroads for practical solutions. She joined University of Malaya (UM) as an academic staff in 1983. Her tenure-ship with UM spreads beyond academic teaching and research. She was entrusted with several administrative portfolios including Founding Dean of Sustainability Science Research Cluster and Coordinator of SDSN (UM Chapter). She was the holder of the prestigious Tun Siti Hasmah Professorial Chair from 2010 to 2014 working on the Clean Batik Initiative funded by EU-Asia Link program. She believes strongly in international collaboration and was involved in projects with foreign agencies including Danida (Denmark), GTZ (Germany), British Council (UK) and JSPS (Japan). One of the landmark projects is the JSPS-Asia-Core Project with Kyoto University working on Integrated Watershed Management. She also takes great pride in being one of the team members of the first group of scientists to venture to Antarctica in 1999.
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Professor Ir Dr Nor Aishah Saidina Amin FASc Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Professor Nor Aishah’s expertise lies in applied catalysis and reaction engineering. Her signature research is on catalytic conversion of methane to fuels. The research is extended to conversion with other reductants, such as carbon dioxide. She also has outstanding contributions in clean energy production using advanced conversion technology and catalytic materials embedded in a sustainable system. Her expertise in reaction engineering and thermodynamics has also been recognised through her appointments as external and internal thesis examiners, reviewer for high impact journals and journal editors. Professor Nor Aishah has always found it advantageous as a chartered engineer and an academician, to be able to influence Malaysian youths to take up science and technology (S&T). She acts as a mentor in enhancing their invention and innovation skills. Furthermore, her achievement as a professional engineer could also serve as an inspiration to attract more women to enter the engineering profession. Her contribution to research and talent development in building up the nation is evident from her accolades, recognition and achievement. She is actively pursuing her research, especially in propelling the bio-based chemical industry. Green technology is needed to continue making Malaysia a competitive nation and to increase the number of home-grown technologies. With her election as a Fellow, she will be a part of the expert think-tank to drive the k-economy of Malaysia.
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Engineering Sciences
Chemistry has always been a fascinating subject in Professor Nor Aishah’s secondary school years that she decided to make it her profession. Upon completion of her secondary education, she chose Chemical Engineering as her course of study. She was elated when she received the opportunity to teach Reaction Engineering, the combination of Chemistry and Process Engineering, which was her favourite subject back in university.
Professor Dr Chong Kok Keong FASc Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman
Mathematics, Physics and Earth Sciences
There are various photovoltaic systems (PV) in the world, designed for different purposes with varying efficiencies. Professor Chong Kok Keong introduces a new player to the PV game – a concentrated photovoltaic panel (CPV). Professor Chong has always been intrigued by what the vast cosmos holds: basic astronomy in class coupled with his own reading of books such as Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time fueled his interest in the mysteries of the universe. Initially, he wanted to study astrophysics, but he chose solar energy, a field closer to earth, with more tangible benefits to mankind. Developing the CPV is a monumental task – despite having higher efficiency, it is expensive to produce, and focus the power of up to 1000 suns generating a considerable amount of heat. This is expected of new ideas and inventions. Professor Chong has successfully proven the concept and has patented it. Furthermore, Professor Chong faces an uphill battle in commercialising the CPV. As a member of the Global Young Academy, Professor Chong utilises the global platform to voice out the challenges faced by scientists in developing countries, such as access to facilities and resources. Professor Chong quotes the story of the bamboo: the first year of a bamboo’s growth is not visible on the surface; only after it has established its roots, it grows rapidly above ground. He implores young researchers to have more patience and passion for their work and to not give up too soon just because it does not show a favourable outcome. Results might come later, in the long run. 26 | ASM Expert Network
Professor Ir Dr Sulaiman Wadi Harun FASc University of Malaya
Professor Sulaiman is a well-known scientist who works in the field of photonics specifically on optical amplifiers, fibre lasers and fibre sensors. He is one of the pioneers of various new research areas such as Brillouin fibre laser, L-band EDFA, microfiber and ultrashort pulses laser generation based on nanomaterials. His expertise earned him the invitation by IEEE to be a guest editor for the journal of IEEE selected Topics of Quantum Electronics special issue in Fibre Laser. Based on the number of papers published yearly, he is considered as the most productive and well-known scientist in the field of Photonics in ASEAN countries. Nature journal has named him as one of the hyperprolific authors, having published one paper indexed in Scopus on average every five days between the year 2000 to 2016. Currently, Professor Sulaiman is also working as an adjunct professor at Airlangga University, Indonesia and Ton Duc Thang University, Vietnam. He received a prestigious award of Malaysian Rising Star 2016 from the Ministry of Higher Education for his contribution in international collaboration. He is also a founder and advisor for Optical Society of Malaysia.
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Mathematics, Physics and Earth Sciences
Professor Ir Dr Sulaiman Wadi Harun embarked on his tertiary education journey in Japan. He studied Electrical and Electronic System Engineering and graduated from Nagaoka University of Technology in 1996. Under the supervision of Professor Harith Ahmad, a prominent Malaysian physicist, he continued his tertiary education after a hiatus of working as an engineer in Japan. With that, he received his master’s degree and PhD in Photonics Technology from the Physics Department, University of Malaya in 2001 and 2004, respectively.
Mathematics, Physics and Earth Sciences
Professor Dr Zainal Abidin Talib FASc Universiti Putra Malaysia
Being in the field of material physics for close to 20 years, Professor Dr Zainal Abidin Talib is privy to the properties of materials at the microscopic level. He understands that the arrangement of atoms plays a role in determining the characteristics or properties of materials. His specialisation delves into the synthesis of selenide-based semiconductors for photovoltaic uses by adjusting the morphology of the substance to acquire desired properties. Professor Zainal Abidin has always loved exploration; after his Malaysian Cambridge Examinations (MCE), he sat for an interview that gave him the opportunity to study abroad. He used the opportunity to expand his horizons; he finished his undergraduate programme and pursued his master’s degree and PhD, where he met his wife, also a fellow Malaysian studying abroad. Professor Zainal Abidin has been working closely with National Nanotechnology Centre (NNC) and
MOSTI (now MESTECC) on organising the annual Malaysia Nanotechnology Olympiad Competition. As a Fellow, he hopes to contribute his expertise to ASM as well. He holds the hope of seeing Malaysia to follow the footsteps of developed countries such as Japan and USA in setting up national laboratories. Setting up national laboratories would be a step towards energising the country’s fundamental studies by enabling access to shared equipment and instruments that would otherwise be inaccessible on an individual capacity. This development would also empower homegrown researchers and build up fundamental knowledge, especially in material physics. Professor Zainal Abidin has a message for future researchers out there – have passion, urgency and the drive to succeed in your research endeavours; without these values, one would not be able to proceed in truth and sincerity.
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University of Malaya
Professor Dr Cheong Sok Ching joined Cancer Research Initiatives Foundation (now Cancer Research Malaysia) in 2002 to initiate a research programme on oral cancer. She is a pioneer in establishing oral cancer research in Malaysia and is well-recognised for her work regionally and globally. Having studied Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering during her undergraduate degree in UKM, Professor Cheong was intrigued by technological advancements that enable us to study the intricacies of biology. She harnessed these methods to identify key events that enabled a cell to gain immortality (a critical trait of cancer cells) and was inspired to pursue a career in cancer research. Currently, her research focus is to understand the biology of head and neck cancer, a disease more commonly diagnosed amongst Asians, so that they are better equipped to treat the disease. Together with her team, she has developed
cancer vaccines that are under-going preclinical testing. She has also used CRISPR/Cas9 geneediting technology to identify genes that are critical for cancer cell survival to guide cancer drug development. Professor Cheong is well-recognised for developing unique oral cancer cell line models representing the disease as it develops in Asia, that facilitates the study of oral cancer biology and for novel drug development. These models are used in more than 20 laboratories around the world. Professor Cheong is passionate to champion the development of young scientists both through the direct supervision of post-graduate students and also by developing a conducive research environment in which scientists can thrive. She strongly believes that much more can be achieved when scientists work collaboratively towards a meaningful cause.
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Medical and Health Sciences
Dr Cheong Sok Ching FASc
Professor Dr Mohamed Ibrahim Abu Hassan FASc Universiti Teknologi MARA
Medical and Health Sciences
Dato’ Dr Mohamed Ibrahim hoped to study engineering but a personal experience became his turning point to pursue a career in dentistry, taking a turn from engineering. He wanted to do more than just dental practice, so he went into academia to broaden his horizons. He joined UM and spent more than 20 years garnering numerous experience in teaching and administration, among others. Later on, he was nominated to help in setting up a dental faculty in UiTM, which he did in 2006. He became the founding dean of UiTM dental school, a position he holds till date. Dato’ Dr Mohamed Ibrahim has also held the position of Chairman of the Malaysian Dental Dean Council for the last 10 years, spearheading the development of standard and quality control of dental education. He also represents Malaysia to TWG-ADE in developing the competency skills of ASEAN countries. He established the Joint Technical Committee for Dental Speciality Program (JTCDSP) chaired by him since 2013. The committee had established General Standard and Criteria in evaluating the dental speciality programme, which has since become the national benchmark. Dato’ Dr Mohamed Ibrahim has devoted his life to guiding the next generation of young dentists to provide care that is of international standards. With the advancement of technology, he hopes to provide better, cheaper, painless and faster service to the public. He also hopes to produce more dental specialists, especially among Bumiputera.
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Professor Dr Tan Kay Sin FASc University of Malaya
Stroke has been considered an irreversible and untreatable event since the advent of modern medicine. However, recent paradigm changes of acute stroke treatment and stroke prevention have improved the outcome of many patients, and these changes will certainly motivate more young scientists and doctors to be a part of the global transformation in this area of specialisation.
Professor Tan spent most of his working career teaching in a hospital setting, contributing as an educator, researcher as well as clinician in the field of stroke and vascular neurology. Stroke and vascular neurology require a multi-faceted approach that incorporates the knowledge of basic science as well as medicine and healthcare. Since stroke is the leading cause of adult disability and one of the major causes of death in Malaysia, Professor Tan personally believes that the local research landscape in this area stands to benefit from better organisation and ample funding. Adequate funding with enhanced and lean research governance are important factors in the implementation and satisfactory completion of multi-disciplinary projects. Professor Tan continues to draw inspiration from many local and international neurologists and scientists. These individuals have been his collaborators, colleagues and co-workers who have provided invaluable advice through the years.
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Medical and Health Sciences
Professor Dr Tan Kay Sin is one of the first Malaysian experts specialising in stroke neurology and neurosonology. He completed a stroke fellowship in the United States (2002-2003) under the Fulbright Scholarship Programme, and has continued specialisation in this area over the last 16 years.
Professor Dr Wong Kum Thong FASc University of Malaya
Medical and Health Sciences
Pathology is the science of studying disease causation – how diseases enter the body and how it affects the body. Formerly walking the path towards becoming a diagnostician, Professor Dr Wong Khum Tong’s foray as an academic staff led him to study more on diseases pathology, specifically of the central nervous system. Professor Wong acknowledges the fact that funding remains a looming dark cloud over not just his field of research, but for other fields as well. However, he believes that with time, researchers would be able to identify suitable avenues of funding that will assist them in progressing their research endeavours. The relative closeness of existing researchers in accepting new members is also a hurdle that he acknowledges; in addition to the faculty’s support, he has had to do a lot of independent learning, building up his knowledge base, finding his own team and looking for funding. But he appreciates this process that has enriched him in many ways. Professor Wong is an active committee member of the Asian Oceanian Myology Centre and Asian Society of Neuropathology. Locally, he is currently an honorary professor since August 2019. Playing these roles allows him to contribute to Malaysia’s S&T development by helping new scientists to advance in this field of science. Professor Wong notices the dwindling interest in science and technology by students in recent years. He calls for the action from various sectors to enculturate S&T in youths for Malaysia’s progress. In addition, he calls for a multipronged approach to energise Malaysia’s S&T: the right policies must be implemented, funding must be injected, and the interest of youths must be kept alive. He also calls for Malaysia to find its niche in S&T, as this focus would help the country be more competitive on the global arena.
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Professor Dato’ Dr Zainal Ariff Abdul Rahman FASc University of Malaya
Dato’ Dr Zainal Ariff’s work in the application of virtual reality began when he met artificial intelligent experts from the Faculty of Computer Science in 2004. Their work resulted in the commercialisation of customised cranioplasty implants. Their work in virtual surgery has since diversified into surgical planning, training and education, image-guided and tele-surgery. Dato’ Dr Zainal Ariff thinks that Malaysia stands tall on the international stage of oral and maxillofacial surgery, and he is very proud of this achievement. He notes the strong international network and cohesiveness among oral and maxillofacial surgeons worldwide, being highly inspired individuals in helping each other advance the speciality. One of his greatest satisfactions is the pleasure of heading the Mercy Malaysia Mission to Bangladesh to perform cleft lip and palate surgery on underprivileged patients. It was a heart-warming experience to see the smiles on their faces after each surgery. The simple sense of gratification obtained was as overwhelming as it was fulfilling.
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Medical and Health Sciences
Professor Dato’ Dr Zainal Ariff has been involved in epidemiology and molecular research in oral cancer in hopes of offering a better survival rate for oral cancer. The extent of his dedication was such that he travelled to the remote areas in Sarawak in order to collect samples for oral cancer research. It was an incredibly rewarding experience as a surgeon to see the living condition of the patients, thus allowing him to understand the problems better and improve his comprehension of the disease as well as finding possible solutions for the disease. Currently, Dato’ Dr Zainal Ariff and his team are looking into individualised treatments for oral cancer therapy.
Science & Technology Development and Industry
Mr Loganathan Ponnambalan FASc Mr Loganathan’s journey in Geological Sciences developed from solely a duty into one that is filled with personal fulfilment. He recalls working under Jabatan Mineral & Geosains, then known as the Geological Survey Department, to study the groundwater resources in Rembau, Tampin, and Gemas as well as in various areas in Pahang. The Orang Asli that lived there had no access to clean water, as the rivers were polluted or already dried up. By drilling tube wells, the team had given access to clean water for the residents. This was repeated in 1992 when his team drilled another tube well in Kem Terendak, Melaka to address the drought issue. What followed was residents lining up to collect water to be brought home for their use. Mr Loganathan is well-versed in the Geological Sciences, with a special focus on the national groundwater scenario. In light of climate change impacting the nation, he believes that there will come a time when surface water access will be insufficient for human use. Therefore, we need to look to other sources of freshwater i.e. groundwater. Mr Loganathan laments on the dwindling amount of qualified and knowledgeable talent specialising in groundwater in recent years. Many are going into retirement or are going into the private sector, where it offers more financial security. He also laments on the lack of opportunities available for science graduates to serve in the field of their study. He feels that the country needs to create an ecosystem where science graduates can contribute to their respective fields. With that said, Mr Loganathan hopes to see a dedicated crop of hydrogeologists in Malaysia that will be able to thrive and flourish in Malaysia’s economy as well as drive Malaysia’s economy.
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Dr Madeline Berma FASc Malaysian Human Rights Commission
Dr Madeline Berma received her PhD from the University of Hull, England. Before that, she received her Master of Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, following a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
Dr Madeline is a member of research teams conducting policy-impact studies on Malaysia’s Rural Development Policy, Impact of Lembaga Kemajuan Ikan Malaysia (LKIM) Housing Programme, Rural Development Poverty in Selected Districts in Sarawak, Urban Poverty in Four Major Towns in Sarawak, Policies on Women Development in Johor, Dayak Education, Dayak Migration Studies to Johor, Socialisation in Sarawak, Women Labour Force Needs for Sarawak Corridor for Renewable Energy (SCORE), Sabah Women’s Development Plan, Sabah Inclusive Development Plan, Effectiveness of Malaysia’s Hardcore Poverty Eradication Programme, Selangor Industrial, Rural Industries in Malaysia, Orang Asli Development in Tasik Chini, and many others. Dr Madeline engages Government agencies and NGOs to work closely for national development. Her knowledge and experience have led the Government to appoint her as a member of several national-level consultative committees including Women’s Advisory and Consultative Council, National Heritage Council and Committee on Education Policy Review. In recognition of her contribution, she was conferred Pingat Ahli Bintang Kenyalang (ABK) Sarawak, Anugerah Kebesaran Wanita dalam Pendidikan di Sarawak, and Tokoh Wanita Sempena Hari Pekerja CUEPACS, 2018. 35 | ASM Expert Network
Social Sciences and Humanities
Dr Madeline is an expert on development studies. She leads research, delivers and publishes academic papers on poverty, rural development and indigenous communities and women. Her researches were instrumental in drafting policies on poverty and socio-economic development of rural communities in Malaysia.
Professor Dato’ Paduka Dr Tengku Aizan Tengku Abdul Hamid FASc Universiti Putra Malaysia
Social Sciences and Humanities
Ageing is a multifaceted issue, covering various aspects, e.g. economics, politics, healthcare among others. As Malaysia rapidly moves towards being an ageing population, the issue should be tackled collaboratively. Professor Tengku Aizan Hamid is an ASM Fellow that is working towards building up a solid knowledge base to help the country cope well with the ageing phenomenon. According to Professor Dr Tengku Aizan, her field of research includes courses “from womb to tomb” – of which her specialisation focuses on the “tomb” part. Her interest in human development and family studies, specifically gerontology, stemmed from her study in family communications, and how it relates to the senior citizens. Seeing that this is quite a brand-new subject, she dived deep into understanding the multifaceted topic of an ageing population. Being a pioneer in this field, she remembers having to do the bulk of research area expansion, because it was a relatively brand-new subject in Malaysia at the time. She needed to collect basic information on the ageing situation and how it relates to various life aspects. With that, she considers herself lucky to be able to study multiple fields in pursuit of understanding ageing better – be it economics, politics, even architecture. In recent years, Professor Tengku Aizan has seen a boom in the number of researchers interested in this field, considering Malaysia’s increasingly ageing population and the pressing need to understand the effects of this phenomenon to Malaysia’s development. She is happy for this boom because ageing is a life experience and there are many factors that will determine someone’s experience of ageing. Therefore, she welcomes the influx of dedicated researchers from various fields to contribute towards a better understanding of this field.
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ASM Fellows BIOLOGICAL, AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Academician Emeritus Professor Dr Yong Hoi Sen FASc Academician Tan Sri Dr Salleh Mohd Nor FASc Academician Emeritus Professor Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Syed Jalaluddin Syed Salim FASc Academician Emeritus Professor Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr Zakri Abdul Hamid FASc Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Abdul Latif Ibrahim FASc Academician Dr C. Devendra FASc Dr Francis S.P. Ng FASc Professor Dr Mak Chai @ Mak Lian Fong FASc Professor Dr Ho Yin Wan FASc Professor Dr Koh Chong Lek FASc Emeritus Professor Dr Mohd Nordin Hasan FASc Dr Rajanaidu Nookiah FASc Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman FASc Emeritus Professor Dr Muhamad Awang FASc Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Mohamed Mahyuddin Mohd Dahan FASc Dato’ Dr Yeang Hoong Yeet FASc Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Abdul Latiff Mohamad FASc Datuk Dr Ghazally Ismail FASc Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Mohamed Abdul Majid FASc Dr Helen Nair FASc Professor Dr Soh Aik Chin FASc Professor Datin Paduka Dr Khatijah Mohd Yusoff FASc Dr Lim Boo Liat FASc Dr Tan Swee Lian FASc Professor Datin Paduka Dato’ Dr Aini Ideris FASc Dr Heong Kong Luen FASc Emerita Professor Dr Phang Siew Moi FASc Dr Ravigadevi Sambanthamurthi FASc Dato’ Dr Sim Soon Liang FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Azizan Abu Samah FASc Professor Dr Mohd Sanusi Jangi FASc Professor Dr Low Pak Sum FASc Dr Chan Ying Kwok FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Mohamed Shariff Mohamed Din FASc Professor Datin Dr Faridah Hanum Ibrahim FASc
Dato’ Dr Makhdzir Mardan FASc Dr Harikrishna Kulaveerasingam FASc Professor Dr Wickneswari Ratnam FASc Dr Tan Keng Hong FASc Professor Dr Normah Mohd Noor FASc Datuk Seri Lim Chong Keat FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Ibrahim Che Omar FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Mohd Tajuddin Abdullah FASc Professor Dr Fatimah Md Yusoff FASc Dr Saw Leng Guan FASc Professor Dr Ng Wing Keong FASc Professor Dr Jinap Selamat FASc Professor Dr Shamsuddin Jusop FASc Professor Dr Tan Soon Guan FASc Dato’ Dr Abd Latif Mohmod FASc Professor Dr Agamutu Pariatamby FASc Profesor Dr Abdul Manaf Ali FASc Datuk Dr Abdul Rahim Nik FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Mazlin Mokhtar FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Mohd Azmi Mohd Lila FASc Dr Rahimatsah Amat FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Rahmah Mohamed FASc Professor Dr S. Vikineswary Sabaratnam FASc Professor Dr Ahmad Ismail FASc Dr Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir FASc Dr Chow Keng See FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Mohd Ali Hassan FASc Dr Rajinder Singh Harminder Singh FASc Associate Professor Dr Chan Kok Gan FASc Professor Datuk Dr Mohd Hair Bejo FASc Emeritus Professor Dr Nor Muhammad Mahadi FASc Professor Dr Rofina Yasmin Othman FASc Professor Dr Sheila Nathan FASc Associate Professor Dr Siti Aisah Alias FASc Professor Dr Mazlan Abd Ghaffar FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Ismail Sahid FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Mohd Yazid Abd Manap FASc Professor Dr Paridah Md Tahir FASc
**Names in BOLD are Foundation Fellows
009 | Conferment of Fellowship 37 | ASM Expert Network ASM
CHEMICAL SCIENCES
ENGINEERING SCIENCES
Academician Emeritus Professor Tan Sri Datuk Dr Augustine Ong Soon Hock FASc Academician Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr V.G. Kumar Das FASc Academician Professor Dr Ho Chee Cheong FASc Emeritus Professor Dr Ng Soon FASc Datuk Dr Mohinder Singh S Sucha Singh FASc Dr Goh Swee Hock FASc Professor Datuk Dr Halimaton Hamdan FASc Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Md Ikram Mohd Said FASc Dr Lee Chnoong Kheng FASc Datuk Dr Sukiman Sarmani FASc Datuk Dr Choo Yuen May FASc Professor Dr Ibrahim Abdullah FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Muhammad Idiris Saleh FASc Dr Lai Yoong Wong FASc Professor Dr Lee Soo Ying FASc Professor Datin Dr Zuriati Zakaria FASc Professor Dr Loh Teck Peng FASc Professor Dr Rauzah Hashim FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Mohd Jamil Maah FASc Professor Dr Ng Seik Weng FASc Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Laily Din FASc Professor Dr Bohari Mohd Yamin FASc Professor Dr Lee Hian Kee FASc Professor Dr Yang Farina Abdul Aziz FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Musa Ahmad FASc Professor Dr Noorsaadah Abd Rahman FASc Professor Dr Lim Yau Yan FASc Professor Dr Mohd Basyaruddin Abdul Rahman FASc Professor Dr Taufiq Yap Yun Hin FASc Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Wan Md Zin Wan Yunus FASc Professor Dr Md Pauzi Abdullah FASc Professor Dr Mohamad Kamal Harun FASc Professor Dr Wan Ahmad Kamil Che Mahmood FASc Professor Dr Zanariah Abdullah FASc Brigadier General Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Kamarudin Husin FASc Datin Dr Sri Nurestri Abd Malek FASc Professor Dr Chuah Cheng Hock FASc Dr Gan Seng Neon FASc Professor Dr Khalijah Awang FASc Professor Dr Mansor Ahmad @ Ayob FASc
Academician Dato’ Ir Lee Yee Cheong FASc Academician Tan Sri Dato’ Ir Shahrizaila Abdullah FASc Dato’ Dr Muhammad Ridzuan Salleh FASc Academician Datuk Ir Hong Lee Pee FASc Ar Hijjas Kasturi FASc Dato’ Dr Mohd Ariffin Aton FASc Ir Dr Ting Wen Hui FASc Professor Dato’ Ir Dr A. Bakar Jaafar FASc Emeritus Professor Dato’ Wira Ir Dr Mohammad Noor Salleh FASc Emeritus Professor Dato’ Ir Abang Abdullah Abang Ali FASc Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Ir Dr Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar FASc Professor Dr Mohd Ali Hashim FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Goh Sing Yau FASc Tan Sri Datuk Professor Ir Dr Mohd Zulkifli Tan Sri Mohd Ghazali FASc Professor Dr Tan Hong Siang FASc Datuk Ir Dr Ow Chee Sheng FASc Dato’ Ir Dr Gue See Sew FASc Dr Ir Salmah Zakaria FASc Professor Dr Zahari Taha FASc Datuk A Rahman Abdullah FASc Tan Sri Ar Hj Esa Mohamed FASc Professor Dato’ Seri Ir Dr Zaini Ujang FASc Professor Ir Dr Shah Nor Basri FASc Professor Dr Nasrudin Abd Rahim FASc Tan Sri Ir Syed Muhammad Shahabudin FASc Tan Sri Ir Omar Ibrahim FASc Ir Dr Ahmad Faizal Mohd Zain FASc Professor Datuk Dr Ahmad Fauzi Ismail FASc Professor Dato’ Sri Ir Dr Judin Abdul Karim FASc Professor Ir Dr Wan Abu Bakar Wan Abas FASc Dato’ Ir Mohd Yusof Ibrahim FASc Professor Ir Dr Ruslan Hassan FASc Professor Dr Zulkifli Yusop FASc Professor Dato’ Ir Dr Wan Ramli Wan Daud FASc Professor Ir Dr Mohd Jailani Mohd Nor FASc Professor Dr Hanafi Ismail FASc Professor Dr Abd Halim Shamsuddin FASc Professor Dr Abdul Latif Ahmad FASc Professor Dr Hamdani Saidi FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Kamaruzzaman Sopian FASc Datuk Ir Mohd Adnan Mohd Noor FASc Datuk Ir Dr Abdul Rahim Hashim FASc Professor Dato’ Ir Dr Badrulhisham Abdul Aziz FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Burhanuddin Yeop Majlis FASc Ir Lalchand Gulabrai FASc
**Names in BOLD are Foundation Fellows
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Professor Dr Abdul Rahman Mohamed FASc Professor Dato’ Ir Dr Abdul Wahab Mohammad FASc Professor Dr Ewe Hong Tat FASc Professor Datuk Dr Mohd Ruddin Ab Ghani FASc Professor Ir Dr Noor Azuan Abu Osman FASc Dato’ Ir Lim Chow Hock FASc Professor Dato’ Ir Dr Mahyuddin Ramli FASc Professor Dr Mohamed Ibrahim Abdul Mutalib FASc Professor Dr Ing Ir Renuganth Varatharajoo FASc Professor Dr Azmi Mohd Shariff FASc Dr Leong Kok Hoong FASc Professor Dato’ Ir Dr Mohd Saleh Jaafar FASc Professor Ir Dr Ramesh Kuldip Singh FASc Ir Dr Zuhairi Abd Hamid FASc Professor Ir Dr Abdul Aziz Abdul Raman FASc Professor Dr Mohd Adzir Mahdi FASc Datuk Ir Abdul Kadir Mohd Din FASc Professor Sr Dr Mazlan Hashim FASc
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMPUTER SCIENCES Academician Tan Sri Ir Shamsuddin Abdul Kadir FASc YM Academician Tengku Datuk Dr Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen FASc Emeritus Professor Dato’ Ir Dr Mohd Zawawi Ismail FASc Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Tan Wang Seng FASc Datuk Dr Mohamed Arif Nun FASc Dr Mohamed Awang Lah FASc Dr Mohamad Zahran Dato’ Sheikh Abdul Halim FASc Professor Dr Zaharin Yusoff FASc Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Ir Zainul Abidin Md Shariff FASc Emeritus Professor Dato’ Seri Ir Dr Mashkuri Yaacob FASc Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Tengku Mohd Tengku Sembok FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Halimah Badioze Zaman FASc Professor Ir Dr Ahmad Fadzil Mohamad Hani FASc Professor Dr Abdullah Gani FASc Professor Dr Borhanuddin Mohd Ali FASc Professor Dr Zainab Abu Bakar FASc Professor Datuk Dr Shahrin Sahib FASc Professor Dr Tharek Abd Rahman FASc Ir Professor Dr Goi Bok Min FASc Professor Dr Mohamed Ridza Wahiddin FASc
MATHEMATICS, PHYSICS AND EARTH SCIENCES Academician Tan Sri Datuk Ir Dr Ahmad Tajuddin Ali FASc Academician Datuk Fateh Chand FASc Dato’ Dr Chatar Singh FASc Dato’ Dr R. Ratnalingam FASc Academician Professor Dato’ Ir Dr Chuah Hean Teik FASc Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Mohd Sham Mohd Sani FASc Professor Emeritus Dr Shaharir Mohamad Zain FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Hassan Said FASc Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Ibrahim Komoo FASc Dr Bahrom Sanugi FASc Distinguished Professor Datuk Dr Harith Ahmad FASc Professor Dr Kurunathan Ratnavelu FASc Professor Dr Tou Teck Yong FASc Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Muhammad Yahaya FASc Professor Dr Lim Ming Huat FASc Emeritus Professor Dr Wong Chiow San FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Roslan Abd Shukor FASc Professor Dato’ Indera Dr Rosihan Mohamed Ali FASc Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Lim Koon Ong FASc Emeritus Professor Dr Fun Hoong Kun FASc Professor Dr Ong Seng Huat FASc Professor Dr Abdul Halim Shaari FASc Professor Dr Felix Tongkul FASc Professor Dr Fredolin Tangang FASc Professor Dr Mohd Shafee’a Leman FASc Professor Dr Joy Jacqueline Pereira FASc Professor Dr Wan Ahmad Tajuddin Wan Abdullah FASc Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Kamel Ariffin Mohd Atan FASc Dr Mazlan Madon FASc Dr Low Kwai Sim FASc Professor Dr Norani Muti Mohamed FASc Professor Dr Ng Kwan Hoong FASc Dato’ Dr Yap Kok Seng FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Mohd Yusof Othman FASc Professor Dr Ishak Hashim FASc Professor Dr Raymond Ooi Chong Heng FASc Dr Selliah Paramananthan FASc Professor Dr Ramesh T Subramaniam FASc Professor Dr Zainuriah Hassan FASc Professor Dr Faidz Abd Rahman FASc Professor Dr Md Rahim Sahar FASc Professor Dr Mohd Salmi Md Noorani FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Abd Aziz Tajuddin FASc Professor Dr Maslina Darus FASc Professor Dr Sahrim Ahmad FASc
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MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES Academician Distinguished Professor Datuk Dr Looi Lai Meng FASc Academician Tan Sri Dr M. Jegathesan FASc Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Khalid Abdul Kadir FASc Professor Dr Mak Joon Wah FASc Tan Sri Dr Yahya Awang FASc Datuk Dr Hussein Awang FASc Academician Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Lam Sai Kit FASc Academician Professor Dato’ Dr Khairul Anuar Abdullah FASc Tan Sri Dr Abu Bakar Dato’ Suleiman FASc Tan Sri Musa Mohamad FASc Emeritus Professor Dato’ Paduka Dr Mustaffa Embong FASc Emeritus Professor Puan Sri Datin Dr Wan Nafisah Hj. Nik Mohd Adeeb FASc Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Hashim Yaacob FASc Professor Dr Yap Sook Fan FASc Emeritus Professor Dr Cheong Soon-Keng FASc Professor Datuk Dr Asma Ismail FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Anuar Zaini Md Zain FASc Professor Dr Victor Lim Kok Eow @ Azman Lim FASc Tan Sri Dato’ Wira Dr Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin FASc Emeritus Professor Dr Mohd Ismail Noor FASc Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican FASc Professor Dr Cheah Phaik Leng FASc Dr Mary Jane Cardosa FASc Emeritus Professor Dr Boo Nem Yun FASc Professor Dr Subramaniam Krishnan FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Jafri Malin Abdullah FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Goh Khean Lee FASc Professor Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman FASc Professor Dr Rosnah Mohd Zain FASc Professor Dr Rahmah Noordin FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Ikram Shah Ismail FASc Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr Lian Chin Boon FASc Tan Sri Professor Dr Mohd Amin Jalaludin FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Tan Chong Tin FASc Professor Dr Norazmi Mohd Nor FASc Dr Salmaan Hussain Inayat Hussain FASc Datuk Professor Dr Awg Bulgiba Awg Mahmud FASc Professor Dr Khor Geok Lin FASc Professor Dr Mustafa Ali Mohd FASc Professor Datuk Dr Rohana Yusof FASc Professor Datuk Paduka Dr Wan Azman Wan Ahmad FASc Professor Dr Jamunarani S Vadivelu FASc Professor Datin Paduka Dr Teo Soo Hwang FASc
Professor Dr Balbir Singh Mohan Singh FASc Datuk Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman FASc Professor Dr Sazaly Abu Bakar FASc Professor Dr Suresh Kumar P.Govind FASc Professor Dr Zhari Ismail FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Balwant Singh Gendeh FASc Professor Dr Lee Way Seah FASc Professor Dr Mary Anne Tan Jin Ai FASc Professor Dr Wan Ariffin Abdullah FASc Professor Datuk Dr A Rahman A Jamal FASc Professor Dr Lim Shen-Yang FASc Professor Dr Shamala Devi K.C. Sekaran FASc Professor Dr Thong Meow Keong FASc Professor Dr Tunku Kamarul Zaman Tunku Zainol Abidin FASc Professor Dr Yvonne Lim Ai Lian FASc Professor Dr Onn Hashim FASc Professor Dr Ngeow Yun Fong FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Ravindran Jegasothy FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Syed Mohamed Aljunid FASc
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AND INDUSTRY Academician Emeritus Professor Tan Sri Dr Omar Abdul Rahman FASc Academician Emeritus Professor Tan Sri Dr Mohd Rashdan Baba FASc Academician Datuk Dr Abdul Aziz S.A. Kadir FASc Tan Sri Dato’ Ir Wan Abdul Rahman Wan Yaacob FASc Academician Emerita Professor Datuk Dr Mazlan Othman FASc Academician Tan Sri Dr Yusof Basiron FASc Tan Sri Yong Poh Kon FASc Tan Sri T. Ananda Krishnan FASc Datuk Alladin Hashim FASc Ir Mohamed Zohari Mohamed Shaharun FASc Datuk Dr Saharan Anang FASc Dato’ Dr Ong Eng Long FASc Emeritus Professor Dr Jalani Sukaimi FASc Dato’ Dr Abdul Razak Mohd Ali FASc Dato’ Ir Lai Pin Yong FASc Datuk Dr Soon Ting Kueh FASc Datuk Dr Mohd Basri Wahid FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Ahmad Ibrahim FASc Datuk Dr Ahmad Tasir Lope Pihie FASc Tan Sri Professor Dato‘ Dzulkifli Abdul Razak FASc Dato‘ Dr Samsudin Tugiman FASc Dr Wan Abdul Rahaman Wan Yaacob FASc Datuk Dr Kalyana Sundram P Manickam FASc Datuk Dr Kamarudin Ab Malek FASc Datuk Dr Salmiah Ahmad FASc Dato’ Ir Andy Seo Kian Haw FASc Datuk Fadilah Baharin FASc Dr Amir Hashim Md Yatim FASc Ir Ts Choo Kok Beng FASc Datuk Dr Mohd Yusoff Sulaiman FASc Mr Goh Peng Ooi FASc Dr Ahmad Hezri Adnan FASc Datuk Dr Ahmad Kushairi Din FASc Dato’ Dr Jalaluddin Harun FASc Professor Ir Dr Lee Sze Wei FASc Dr Raslan Ahmad FASc Tan Sri Dato’ Ir Gan Thian Leong FASc
SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES Professor Dato’ Dr Aishah Bidin FASc Dato’ Dr Sharifah Maimunah Syed Zin FASc Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Shad Salem Faruqi FASc Emerita Professor Dato’ Dr Siti Zuraina Abdul Majid FASc Dr Zainal Ariffin Ahmad FASc Distinguished Professor Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin FASc Professor Dr Mahendhiran Sanggaran Nair FASc
**Names in BOLD are Foundation Fellows 41 | ASM Expert Network
2019
ASSOCIATES A pool of diverse expertise appointed on a two-year terms to fullfil the increasing interdisciplinary demand of knowledge.
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Associates Professor Dr Nor Ashikin Mohamed Noor Khan Dato’ Ir Hanapi Mohamad Noor Professor Dato’ Dr Noraini Idris Professor Dr Hadariah Bahron Professor Dr Mohamed Othman Professor Dr Madzlan Aziz Associate Professor Dr Muzaimi Mustapha Associate Professor Dr Berhaman Ahmad Associate Professor Dr Fatin Aliah Phang Abdullah Associate Professor Ir Dr Haslenda Hashim Associate Professor Dr Homathevi Rahman Associate Professor Dr Juhana Jaafar Associate Professor Dr Ir Marlinda Abdul Malek Associate Professor Ir Dr Mimi Haryani Hashim Associate Professor Dr Mohd Azlan Jayasilan Abdul Gulam Azad Associate Professor Ir Dr Mohd Fadhil Md Din Associate Professor Dr Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan Othman Associate Professor Dr Shahrina Md Nordin Associate Professor Dr Zaiton Abdul Majid Associate Professor Dr Zainura Zainon Noor Associate Professor Dr Khatijah Omar Associate Professor Dr Yeong Yik Sung Dr Anida Yusoff Dr Chong Ju Lian Dr Elia Godoong Dr Zati Sharip Dr Goh Pei Sean Dr Hamzah Bin Tangki Dr Hasrinah Hasbullah Dr Jayaraj Vijaya Kumaran Dr Lee Hooi Ling Dr Mohd Firdaus Abdul Wahab Dr Umi Marshida Abd Hamid Dr Wan Amir Nizam Wan Ahmad Dr Yap Sau Wai Ir Mohmad Asari Daud Ir C. Kamalesen Chandrasekaran Mr Rushdi Abdul Rahim Associate Professor Dr Jamilah Mohd Salim @Halim Professor Dr Khairiyah Mohd Yusoff
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Malaysia’s transformational agenda rightly emphasises knowledge-based economy, which has human capital as one of its critical pillars. To drive competitiveness in a knowledge-intensive economy that is fuelled by innovation, the country needs to identify, recognise and harness its top scientific minds, as well as sustain a pool of talented people. Insufficient skilled labour is one of the challenges that have been identified through the 11th Malaysia Plan. This challenge needs to be overcome in order for Malaysian to achieve the status of a developed country by 2020. ASM’s initiative of Top Research Scientists Malaysia (TRSM) aims to address this challenge. The TRSM initiated in 2010 identifies and recognises leading Malaysian research scientists who are actively pushing the boundaries of research and development to generate new knowledge, make discoveries, create value-added opportunities as well as meaningful and impactful outcomes from their research that significantly contributes to the nation’s socio-economic transformation. The TRSM recognition is valid for a five-year period. Active research scientists can be recognised for the following term upon re-evaluation. In addition to giving the country’s illustrated researchers a nationwide recognition, TRSM also features an online database that serves as a centralised point of reference for researchers who are still active in R&D. It is hoped that the convention of the best brains in the country would create a hub for knowledge generation and dissemination that can spur STI growth in Malaysia. TRSM recipients could serve as role models of excellence, mentors to the next generation and leaders to forge the nation’s STI agenda. The TRSM database could also be a repository of potential research scientists for international recognition.
The TRSM initiative has two major phases: 1) I dentify a pool of leading Malaysian researchers across all areas such as fundamental research, applied research, social science research and industry research experts based on an objective and standardised selection criteria. 2) D isseminate the profile of the TRSM through its database, which serves as a centralised point of reference for stakeholders to identify national R&D priority areas as well as human capital that can lead the priority areas. The database serves as a resource for the international scientific community such as academia, industries and international STI organisations that wish to seek top-notch STI expertise in Malaysia for knowledge exchange, networking and build-up linkages.
TRSM RECIPIENTS 2012-2019
RECIPIENTS FOR THE 8TH CYCLE (2019)
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TOP RESEARCH SCIENTISTS MALAYSIA 009 | Conferment of Fellowship 45 | ASM Expert Network ASM
Professor Ir Dr Chong Wen Tong Head, Centre for Energy Sciences, University of Malaya
Dr Chong’s contributions to the engineering profession are well-recognised nationally and internationally. Leveraging his knowledge and 12 years’ varied research, design and analysis experiences in both academia and industry, he continues his research on wind-solar hybrid energy system with value-innovation features in University of Malaya. He has co-authored more than 110 technical/scientific articles published in SCI-indexed journals. For his outstanding work, he has received several awards including Young Researcher Award and WSSET Innovation Award. In 2018, he was conferred with the Darjah Ahli Mahkota Perlis (AMP) by Raja of Perlis.
Area of Expertise: Renewable Energy and Green Technology
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Professor Ir Dr Fatimah Ibrahim Director, University of Malaya Commercialisation and Innovation Centre (UMCIC)
Dr Fatimah has been instrumental in the progress of biomedical engineering (BME) in Malaysia. She introduced and initiated Biological Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (BioMEMS) field of research as a result of technology transfer from University of California Irvine, United States. Her research has been highlighted through mass media to educate and raise awareness on health issues and engineering innovations. She holds 13 intellectual properties with two of her patents licensed by industries. To date, her research innovations have received numerous top awards at various International and National Inventions, Innovations, Design & Technology Exhibitions.
Area of Expertise: BioMEMS and Bioinstrumentation
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Associate Professor Dr Fatin Aliah Phang Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Dr Fatin believes that bridging between the natural and social sciences will contribute to the society and new areas of research. She continues to position herself within the circle of natural scientists to provide solutions on social and educational issues and to help them in transferring technical knowledge to the community. She actively encourages social scientists to venture into different disciplines especially in STI so that the technological innovations can be truly cascaded and can benefit the wider society and industry. She has published more than 80 indexed publications, four training modules, three policy papers, and two books. She owns 17 intellectual properties and has commercialised seven of them.
Area of Expertise: STEM Education, Engineering Education and Environmental Education
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Associate Professor Dr Foo Keng Yuen Deputy Director, River Engineering and Urban Drainage Research Centre (REDAC) Universiti Sains Malaysia Engineering Campus
Dr Foo is the first Malaysian scientist who has initiated the green novel concept of microwave irradiation for preparation and regeneration of activated carbons. These findings are considered groundbreaking and new evolution, due to the ability to produce new activated carbons with tremendous improvement and shorten the activation time. With this achievement, Dr Foo has positioned Malaysia as the top leading country within this research area. In recognition of his outstanding achievement in science and engineering, he was honoured with several awards including Marquis Who’s Who in the World and Top 100 Engineers.
Area of Expertise: Environmental Engineering and Water Management
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Associate Professor Dr Huda Abdullah Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Dr Huda’s research strength lies in the field of nanomaterials with a specialisation in producing and synthesis of nanostructure materials for solar cell fabrication, biosensor, microstrip patch antenna and various electronic devices. She has published more than 150 research papers in journals and conferences (ISI/ SCOPUS). She also successfully obtained 88 ISI/WOS journal papers in high impact journal and five intellectual properties. To date, she has successfully obtained more than 19 research grants as a project leader. She won several awards including L’oreal Malaysia’s For Women in Science 2007, MASS Young Scientist 2012, and Gold Medal in KNOVASI 2019.
Area of Expertise: Thin Films, Nano Functional Material for Sensor and Energy Application
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Associate Professor Ts Dr Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan Othman Director, Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre (AMTEC), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Dr Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan’s research interest lies in the development of innovative membrane technology in removing pollutants from water and wastewater as well as for efficient energy generation. He is the pioneer in the fabrication of inexpensive ceramic hollow fibre membrane made from waste materials. Through this research, he has filed 14 patents and published more than 200 indexed articles. Some of the research inventions have also been recognised at the national and international level by winning several innovation awards including MASS Young Researcher Award 2018 and Asian Invention Excellence Award in 28th International Invention, Innovation & Technology Exhibition.
Area of Expertise: Membrane and Fuel Cell Technology
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Professor Dr Mohd Razi Ismail Deputy Director, Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Food Security, Universiti Putra Malaysia
Dr Mohd Razi is one of the pioneer members for the establishment of Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Food Security in 2006, which was recognised as one of the Higher Institution Centre of Excellence, Ministry of Education (HICOEs). Throughout his career, he has successfully led many high impact research in rice and consultancy in agriculture commodities. He has published more than 300 scientific articles in various publications. In recognising his contribution in tropical plant science research, he has received many international awards such as Association of Commonwealth University Award and British High Commissioner Award.
Area of Expertise: Plant Eco Physiology
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Professor Ir Dr Mohd Sapuan Salit Head, Advanced Engineering Materials and Composites Research Centre, Universiti Putra Malaysia
Dr Mohd Sapuan is an ‘A’ grade professor of composite materials at Universiti Putra Malaysia, the highest post conferred by a public university for academic staff. Through his leadership as one of the Heads of Centre, his contributions include setting up Advanced Materials Research Centre, Institute of Advanced Technology (ITMA) UPM in 1999. To date, he has published over 1300 publications in journals, books and conference proceedings/seminars. For his hard work, he was honoured with several awards including Rotary Research Gold Medal Award 2012 and Khwarizmi International Award.
Area of Expertise: Composite Materials and Concurrent Engineering
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Professor Dr Zakiah Ahmad Director, Institute for Infrastructure Engineering and Sustainable Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA
Dr Zakiah is a renowned academic and researcher in timber engineering and timber composite with more than 20 years’ experience. She plays an active role in promoting timber engineering, bridging the knowledge gaps between tropical timbers and oversea timbers, vital for value creation from our national timbers. Through these activities, she has built a strong network and had numerous collaborative projects with industries, national research institutes and universities, at national and international level that are sealed with MOUs and MOAs. She has received many national and international accolades such as Women Super Achiever Award from Golden Globe (2018) and Best Design Award from Japan Intellectual Property Association (2016).
Area of Expertise: Timber Engineering
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TOP RESEARCH SCIENTISTS MALAYSIA
TRSM 2012-2018 Professor Datuk Dr Asma Ismail FASc Professor Dr Balbir Singh Mohan Singh FASc Professor Dr Mustafa Ali Mohd FASc Professor Dr Rahmah Noordin FASc Professor Dr Abdul Latif Ahmad FASc Professor Dato’ Ir Dr Abdul Rahman Mohamed FASc Professor Datuk Dr Ahmad Fauzi Ismail FASc Professor Dr Hamidi Abdul Aziz @ Abdul Rahman Professor Dr Hanafi Ismail FASc Professor Dr Lee Keat Teong Professor Dr Mohd Adzi Mahdi FASc Professor Dr Rahinah Ibrahim Professor Ir Dr Ramesh Singh Kuldip Singh FASc Professor Dr Zainal Arifin Mohd Ishak Professor Dr Lai Oi Ming Professor Dr Lee Chow Yang Professor Dato’ Dr Mohamed Shariff Mohamed Din FASc Professor Datuk Dr Mohd Hair Bejo FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Nik Muhamad Nik Ab Majid Emerita Professor Dr Phang Siew Moi FASc Professor Dr Tan Soon Guan FASc Professor Dr Tan Wen Siang FASc Professor Dr Zulkifli Idrus Associate Professor Dr Badlishah Sham Baharin Dr Kamariah Long Professor Dr Mohd Basyaruddin Abdul Rahman FASc Professor Dr Mohd Zobir Hussein Professor Dato’ Dr Jafri Malin Abdullah FASc Professor Dato’ Ir Dr Abdul Wahab Mohammad FASc Professor Ir Dr Cheong Kuan Yew Professor Dr Hamdani Saidi FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Kamaruzzaman Sopian FASc Professor Dr Luqman Chuah Abdullah @ Chuah Teong Guan Professor Dr M. Iqbal Saripan Associate Professor Dr Mohd Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah Professor Dato’ Dr Mohd Yusof Othman FASc Professor Ir Dr NorAishah Saidina Amin FASc Professor Ts Dr Ruzairi Abdul Rahim Professor Ir Dr Sheikh Hussain Shaikh Salleh Professor Dr Zainuddin Abd Manan Datuk Dr Abd Latif Mohmod FASc Professor Datin Paduka Dr Aini Ideris FASc Professor Dr Chong Shu Chien @Alexander
Professor Dr Darah Ibrahim Professor Dr Fatimah Md Yusoff FASc Professor Dr Ibrahim Che Omar FASc Professor Dato’ Dr Mohd Ali Hassan FASc Professor Dr Ng Wing Keong FASc Professor Dr Paridah Md Tahir FASc Professor Dr Raja Noor Zaliha Raja Abd. Rahman FASc Professor Dr Shamshuddin Jusop FASc Professor Dr Tan Chin Ping FASc Dr Chantara Thevy Ratnam Professor Datuk Dr Halimaton Hamdan FASc Professor Dr K Sudesh Kumar C Kanapathi Pillai FASc Dr Meor Yusoff Meor Sulaiman Professor Dr Nor Azah Yusof Professor Datuk Dr Taufiq Yap Yun Hin FASc Professor Emeritus Dr Fun Hoong Kun FASc Professor Ir Dr Hairul Azhar Abdul Rashid Professor Dr Zainuriah Hassan FASc Professor Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman FASc Professor Dr Ishwar Singh Parhar Professor Dr Jamunarani S. Vadivelu FASc Professor Dr Rosnah Mohd Zain FASc Professor Dr Shamala Devi Sekaran FASc Professor Datin Paduka Dr Teo Soo Hwang FASc Professor Ir Dr Abdul Aziz Abdul Raman Professor Ir Dr Abdul Halim Mohamed Yatim Associate Professor Dr Ir Abdul Manaf Hashim Professor Dr Ahmad Zuhairi Abdullah Associate Professor Dr Che Mohd Ruzaidi Ghazali Professor Ir Dr Goi Bok Min Professor Dr Hazizan Md Akil Brig Gen Datuk Professor Emeritus Dr Kamarudin Hussin FASc Professor Ir Dr Mariatti Jaafar @ Mustapha Professor Ir Dr Masjuki Hassan FASc Professor Dr Mohammad Nazri Mohd Ja’afar Professor Ir Dr Mohd Zainal Abidin Ab Kadir Professor Dr Nasrudin Abd Rahim FASc Professor Ir Dr Sim Kok Swee Professor Ir Dr Syed Alwee Aljunid Syed Junid Professor Dr Uda Hashim Professor Dr Abdul Rahman Omar FASc Professor Dr Jinap Selamat FASc Professor Dr Thong Kwai Lin Professor Dr S. Vikineswary Sabaratnam FASc
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Professor Datuk Dr Abdul Khalil Shawkataly Professor Dr Khalijah Awang FASc Professor Dr Noorsaadah A. Rahman FASc Professor Ir Dr Ramesh T. Subramaniam FASc Professor Dr Rauzah Hashim FASc Professor Dr Abdul Kariem Mohd Arof Professor Dr Wan Ahmad Tajuddin Wan Abdullah FASc Professor Dr Mohamed Azmi Ahmad Hassali Professor Dr Wong Kum Thong FASc Professor Dr Ani Idris Professor Dr Azmi Mohd Shariff FASc Professor Dr Farid Nasir Ali Professor Ir Dr Mohd Omar Ab. Kadir Professor Ir Dr Mohd Sobri Takriff Professor Dr Nik Meriam Nik Sulaiman FASc Professor Dr Robiah Yunus Professor Ir Dr Srimala Sreekantan Professor Dr Othman Sulaiman Professor Dr Rofina Yasmin Othman FASc Professor Dr Rokiah Hashim Dr Nor Azah Mohamad Ali Professor Dr Azman Hassan Professor Ir Dr Dominic Foo Chwan Yee FASc Professor Dr Latiffah Abdul Latiff Professor Dr Liong Min Tze Dr Loh Soh Kheang Professor Dr Mazlan Hashim FASc Professor Dr Noor Hayaty Abu Kasim Professor Dr Suzana Yusup Professor Dr Tharek Abdul Rahman FASc Professor Dr Yvonne Lim Ai Lian FASc Associate Professor Dr Cheah Yoke Kqueen Professor Dr Cheong Sok Ching FASc Professor Dr Chua Kek Heng Professor Ir Dr Leong Wai Yie Professor Dr Mohamed Ridza Wahiddin FASc Professor Ir Dr Mohd Azlan Hussain Professor Dr Mohd Nordin Adlan Professor Dr Mohd Rafii Yusop Associate Pofessor Dr Mohd Yunus Abd Shukor Professor Dr Nor Hadiani Ismail Professor Dr Shaliza Ibrahim Professor Dr Yeap Guan Yeow Professor Dr Zainal Arifin Ahmad Professor Dr Abdul Rashid bin Mohamed Shariff
Associate Professor Ir Dr Aduwati Sali Professor Dr Ahmad Zaharin Aris Professor Dr Chai Siang Piao Associate Professor Dr Chan Yoke Fun Professor Dr Chong Kok Keong Ir Dr Hafizal Bin Mohamad Professor Dr Ida Idayu Muhamad Professor Dr Lean Hooi Hooi Professor Dr Lee Yeong Yeh Professor Dr Leong Chee Onn Professor Dr Lim Yun Seng Professor Dr Mohamad Kamal A Rahim Professor Dr Mohd Razman Salim Professor Dr Mohd Talib Latif FASc Professor Dr Ng Kok Sum Professor Dr Noordin Mohd Yusof Ir Dr Nordin Ramli Professor Dr Rozita Rosli Professor Datin Dr Rubiyah Yusof Professor Ir Dr Sharifah Rafidah Wan Alwi Professor Dr Sharul Kamal Abdul Rahim Professor Dr Siti Kartom Kamarudin Professor Dr Suraini Abd Aziz
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Contemporary scientific challenges often benefit from investigators with diverse backgrounds and expertise. Thus, bringing together of talented young scientists creates new opportunities for better solutions to both national and international challenges. Furthermore, the exchange of best practices amongst young scientists across disciplines could further expand the opportunities for career development of young scientists in any country. To achieve this, there is a need for a strong platform where top young scientists can interact, coordinate, and organise to meet these challenges. The Young Scientists Network-Academy of Sciences Malaysia (YSN-ASM) was officiated at the YSN-ASM Inaugural Colloquium in December 2012 with the following objectives: • represent the voice of young Malaysian scientists on national and international issues and give them a platform to influence policy decisions • facilitate networking opportunities among young and senior scientists to exchange knowledge and experiences
YSN-ASM intends to function as a National Young Academy (NYA) that will link with the Global Young Academy (GYA). To date, YSN-ASM has linked up with the Global Young Academy of Sciences as well as other young academies to provide opportunities for Malaysian young scientists to interact internationally with other young scientists. The Network consists of 86 members and 101 affiliates from various disciplines and institutions. It aims to create a network of young Malaysian scientists who are not only excellent in their field of study but also demonstrate a passion to contribute to society and collaborate with colleagues from diverse fields and background. Apart from that, the Network also aims to inspire the future generation of scientists as well as early career scientists to work together as affiliate members towards ensuring the success of YSN-ASM programmes.
• engage young scientists to be involved in addressing national issues using scientific knowledge and technology through interdisciplinary approaches and contribute towards the development of scientific capacity and awareness in Malaysia • promote career in science as the choice for young people to ensure scientific progress and sustainability in the country
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YOUNG SCIENTISTS NETWORKASM 009 | Conferment of Fellowship 59 | ASM Expert Network ASM
YSN-ASM Professor Dr Liong Min Tze Professor Dr Abhimanyu Veerakumarasivam Associate Professor Ir Dr Mimi Haryani Hassim Dr Cheah Pike See Associate Professor Dr Chen Soo Kien Associate Professor Dr Chan Kok Meng Dr Normi Mohd Yahaya Dr Michael Ling King Hwa Professor Ir Dr Sharifah Rafidah Wan Alwi Associate Professor Dr Tan Kar Ban Associate Professor Dr Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan Othman Professor Dr M. Iqbal Saripan Dr Chia Yoke Yin Dr Faisal Ali Anwarali Khan Dr Ho Wai Shin Dr Mohd Sukor Bin Su’ait Associate Professor Dr Teh Su Yean Associate Professor Dr Wan Azlina Wan Ab Karim Ghani Associate Professor Dr Rosdiadee Nordin Ir Dr Poh Kiat Ng Dr Chau De Ming Asscoiate Professor Dr Ng Sing Muk Dr Oon Chern Ein Dr Chai Lay Ching Associate Professor Dr Fatin Aliah Phang Professor Dr Lim Jit Kang Associate Professor Dr Sreeramanan Subramaniam Professor Dr Denny Ng Kok Sum Associate Professor Dr Yap Wing Fen Dr Mohd Ghows Mohd Azzam Dr Tee Kok Keng Dr Wahizatul Afzan Azmi Dr Afnizanfaizal Abdullah Associate Professor Dr Ang Bee Chin Dr Baharudin bin Ibrahim Dr Kenny GL Voon Associate Professor Dr Joon Ching Juan Associate Professor Dr Lim Hong Ngee Associate Professor Dr Lionel In Lian Aun Associate Professor Dr Nik Fadzly N Rosely Dr Oh Pei Ching Dr Puan Chong Leong Dr Shahiron Shahidan Associate Professor Dr Siti Fauziah Toha@Tohara Dr Lee Hooi Ling Dr Razinah Sharif
Dr Tan Yee Shin Dr Phan Chia Wei Associate Professor Dr Ahmad Athif Dr Cindy Teh Shuan Ju Dr Khalisanni Khalid Associate Professor Dr Low Siew Chun Associate Professor Dr Nafarizal Nayan Dr Paul Cliff Simon Divis Dr Aslina Baharum Dr Chang Wei Sea Dr Derek Chan Juinn Chieh Dr Garry Kuan Pei Ern Dr Khor Cheng Seong Dr Loo Keat Wei Dr Nadiah Abu Dr Nur Adlyka Binti Ainul Annuar Dr Nurbiha A Shukor Dr Peng Yen Liew Dr Rafidah Zainon Dr Wan Hanna Melini Wan Mohtar
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© Academy of Sciences Malaysia 2018
Think Science. Celebrate Technology. Inspire Innovation.
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