PETALING JAYA: Dr Mazlan Madon stumbled into geology by chance, but eventually became a distinguished figure in the field.
“My entry into geology was by chance as I was looking for scholarship opportunities in 1978 after graduating school when I stumbled on a scholarship opportunity from PETRONAS.
“Geology was one of the subjects in which scholarships were available. I did not know anything about the subject but decided to give it a try,” he recalled.
It turned out to be the right move as Mazlan, 64, would go on to play a key role in global geology decisions at the United Nations, representing Malaysia on the global stage.
Mazlan’s dedication was seen throughout his career with PETRONAS where he held the post of chief geoscientist representing Malaysia in the United Nations and even having his lifelong work recognised by others.
One such achievement was being awarded the “Order of Friendship” from the Russian government for his work during his 11-year tenure as a Member of the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (UN CLCS).
Established in 1997 under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS), the 21-member UN CLCS technical body aims to make recommendations to claimant coastal states on the outer limits of their continental shelf.
The award was presented by Russia’s ambassador to Malaysia Naiyl Latypov four months ago in recognition of his efforts towards strengthening scientific and bilateral ties between Russia and Malaysia during his time at UN CLCS.
He also made significant contributions to the multilateral cooperation on expanding the continental shelf of the Russian Federation in the Arctic Ocean.
“I was humbled and honoured for the recognition, especially as it came from a foreign government.
“I have always believed if I do good work with honesty and integrity, according to the rules, and not expecting anything in return, the results will speak for themselves.
“To this day, I consider it a national duty and a great honour to work at the United Nations as a representative from Malaysia.”
Before joining the United Nations, Mazlan had spent 33 years with PETRONAS after graduating in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science in geology from the Southampton University in United Kingdom.
He also earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Earth Sciences from University of Oxford in 1996.
His work at PETRONAS did not go unrecognised as he was then called upon to be an expert reviewer on the National Security Council’s Malaysian Continental Shelf Project in 2008.
The project’s goal was to prepare Malaysia’s documentation to submit its claim to the extended continental shelf in the South China Sea.
His dedication and expertise led to him being nominated and elected to the UN CLCS in 2012 as he continued to work for PETRONAS until his retirement in 2017.Mazlan was appointed as advisor to the Malaysian Continental Shelf Project while serving his second five year term with the UN CLCS until 2023.
“It was a big challenge as I had to manage the differences in opinions among members (scientists) as we attempted to reach a solution to each particular case under consideration, based purely on the available scientific data and the law,” he said.
These days, the former Geological Society of Malaysia president continues to inspire others through talks and written articles to spread awareness on the importance of geology.
