UM honours its dons

BY S. INDRAMALAR

FOR the first time in its history, Universiti Malaya awarded 12 of its former academics the coveted Emeritus Professor award – an honour bestowed on academics who have retired as professors and have served the university for at least seven years and who have made outstanding contributions to the nation and university. 

In the 48 years since the university granted its first emeritus professor award in 1956, only 19 others have been conferred the honour. Among them were former UM vice-chancellors (VC) Royal Professor Ungku Aziz and Datuk Dr Taib Isman and renowned historian Datuk Dr Khoo Kay Kim. 

UM vice-chancellor Datuk Dr Hashim Yaacob said, “This is the university's way of saying thank you to these fine academics who have contributed a lot to the university and also the country. 

“UM has many renowned professors who have in turn trained many exceptional and well-known professors. Unfortunately, so far not much recognition has been given to these outstanding academics. This time around however, we want to acknowledge and recognise their work and show our appreciation by awarding the Emeritus Professor title, which they can carry with them forever.” 

The 12 recipients this year were anaesthesiologist Datuk Dr Alexius Ernald Delikan, otorhinolaryngologist (specialist in ear, nose and throat) Dr Umapati Prasad, educationists Datuk Ishak Harun and Puan Sri Fatimah Hamid Don, Geography expert Dr K. T. Joseph, Geologist Dr Charles Strachan Hutchison, former UM seputy vice chancellor Datuk Dr Osman Bakar, Economist Dr Mohamed Ariff Abdul Kareem, Microbiologist Dr Lam Sai Kit, Paediatric specialist Dr Lam Khuan Leng and Obstetrician Datuk Dr Khairuddin Mohamed Yusof and Indian Studies exponent Dr Singaravelu Satchinantham. 

INESTIMABLE CONTRIBUTIONS: Dr Khairuddin Mohamed Yusof (left) and some of the other dons (below) getting their awards.

Although the dozen are experts in various disciplines, their contributions to the university and in many cases the country is admirable. 

Dr Khairuddin Mohamed Yusof for example is widely recognized for pioneering public health programmes and research in the country, especially for the urban poor communities. 

A specialist in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Dr Khairuddin pioneered the Sang Kancil programme for the urban poor in Kuala Lumpur, bringing clinical services and greatly improving maternal and child health services among these communities. The programme was recognised by the government and was incorporated as an urban poverty policy in the Fourth Malaysian plan. 

The former UM medical dean and vice chancellor was consultant to the Social Welfare ministry and the National Population and Family Planning Board and also spearheaded the development of artificial intelligence software dealing with diagnostics and management of pregnancy complications, endocrine diseases and accident and emergency cases. This initiative of his culminated in the creation of the Artificial Intelligence Centre (Malaysia) located at SIRIM. He is also consultant in Artificial Intelligence to Hitachi Corporation, Japan. 

An all-rounder, Dr Khairuddin is an enthusiastic mountain climber, having scaled Mt Kilimanjaro in Africa, Mt Aconcagua in Argentina, Mt Annapoorna in Nepal and Mt Bayenkol in Kazakhstan. A competent cyclist and dancer too, he cycled from Melbourne to Adelaide in Australia and loves Salsa and Latin American dance. 

The calibres of the other 11 recipients are no less impressive. Former deputy vice-chancellor (academic affairs) Datuk Dr Osman Bakar is widely recognised as an outstanding academic and administrator. Although he showed an initial interest in Mathematics (his undergraduate and graduate degrees were in this area), Dr Osman later found philosophy more appealing and did his doctorate in Philosophy in the United States, focusing on the Science of Islam. A fullbright scholar, Dr Osman was among the Islamic scholars called upon by former US president Bill Clinton to participate in a dialogue on future relations between the US and the Islamic world in October 2002.  

The first geography professor to receive an emeritus professorship, Dr K. T. Joseph is appreciative of Universiti Malaya’s move to give due recognition to academics such as himself. 

Said Dr Joseph, “It is a great honour being awarded the emeritus professorship. It has actually been a while since I retired, although I am still active (in my field).  

“I think what the university is trying to do is recognise the contributions of its professors who served the university years ago. Although this award was first given out in 1956, not many have been awarded as somehow no one has been looking into this.” 

Dr Joseph served in UM for 28 years from 1960, leaving briefly from 1972 to 1975 to work in the Malaysian Agricultural and Research Development Institute (Mardi). Longing to return to the world of academia, he returned to UM in 1975 and was made professor in Land Use Studies in 1976. 

Also honoured was anaesthesiologist Dr Alexius Ernald Delikan, former anaesthesiology department head at UM. Currently a visiting professor at the Royal Perak Medical College as well as a part-time professor in Anaesthesiology and Critical Care at the International Medical University, Dr Delikan is widely published in local and international journals, and has authored several books. Also very active in professional societies such as the Malaysian Medical Association, the Malaysian Medical Council and the College of Surgeons Malaysia, he is currently the Medico-Legal Society president. On top of his professional obligations, Dr Delikan is also an avid cricketer. 

Paediatric specialist Dr Lam Khuan Leng is known by peers as a perfectionist. He played a huge part in planning and arranging the paediatric teaching programme for the university’s Medical degree programme as well as in the setting up of the University Hospital children’s ward and clinic. 

Geologist Charles Hutchison was among UM’s pioneer academics, having served in the university’s Singapore campus and then opting to move to the Kuala Lumpur campus when it was formed. He has won numerous awards for his achievements such as a Special Commendation Award by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. 

No introduction need be made for microbiologist Dr Lam Sai Kit, well known for heading a medical team that discovered the Nipah virus. This finding automatically placed Universiti Malaya as the main university for viral research particularly after the research team's efforts in controlling and identifying the cause of several outbreaks like the Enterovirus 71 encephalitis in 1997, the Nipah virus encephalitis in 1998 and the Chickugunya polyarthritis in 1999. 

Though an Indian national, Dr Umapathi Prasad’s research in cancer while at UM has been significant, to say the least. His work has been published in many international journals many times over and one particular publication, “the red journal” made a huge impact especially in the treatment of nasopharyngeal cancer. 

Not from India, but an expert in Indian Studies is Dr S. Singaravelu, another recipient of the Emeritus Professor award. In his citation, he was described as “a giant in his field” which explains why he is sought after as an advisor by societies such as the Malaysian branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, the Historical Society of Malaysia, the International Association of Tamil Research and the Siam Society, Bangkok, among others. 

The achievements of economist Dr Mohamed Ariff Abdul Kareem and educationists Datuk Dr Ishak Harun and Puan Sri Fatimah Hamid Don are all very evident by the international accolades they have obtained. Among the posts held by Dr Mohamed Ariff were research advisor to the Vietnam Asia-Pacific Centre in Ho Chi Minh City and consultant to UNCTAD, Geneva, UN ESCAP, Bangkok, OECD, Paris and UNCRD, Nagoya, among others. Dr Ishak on the other hand was visiting professor and fellowship recipient from universities in Indonesia, Singapore, Japan and the United States while Fatimah has sat on various prestigious bodies such as the UCLA Education Dean’s Council, the Women Leaders Network, the Asia Pacific Economic Council and the World Council for Curriculum and Instruction.