Background

When did Dato’ first join USM [University of Penang]?

As from May 1969, while serving with University of Malaya (UM), I commuted from KL upon the request of Tan Sri Prof. Hamzah Sendut, Vice-Chancellor Designate of the University of Penang located at Maktab Perguruan at Bukit Combi (now referred to as RECSAM), to give physics lectures, supervise physics practicals together with part-time staff from Penang. I had to compile a list of equipment to be purchased for the physics laboratories and assist in the recruitment of part-time and full time staff for the university. I had to compile and organise the academic curriculum for undergraduate teaching in physics and mathematics. Together with colleagues, also from UM, in-charge of the biology and chemistry disciplines, we drew up administrative rules and regulations for the university to cater for all aspects of a newly established academic institution.

What position?

I took up formal position with the University of Penang as Foundation Professor of Physics and Professorial Dean of the School of Physics & Mathematics on 1^st April 1970. University of Penang was renamed University of Sciences Malaysia in April 1972 and was re-located at Minden.

Why did Dato’ join USM [University of Penang]?

Having served in a traditional university structure in UM with only one professor per discipline who is also concurrently head of the department and having become a Reader in Physics, I was given the opportunity by the University of Penang to think out of the box and introduce the concept of Schools with related multidisciplinary subjects per discipline and establish multiple professorships. As a consequence, USM was the first Malaysian university to introduce subject groups with tailor-made research laboratories to encourage active group research and was the first university to offer courses in geophysics and biophysics - the graduates of geophysics were most welcome by the gas and petroleum industries in Malaysia.

How long did Dato’ serve in USM?

I retired from the School of Physics in September 1984 on reaching 55 years of age and after having served since 1970. I was rehired as Visiting Professor and Advisor to the Industrial Research & Consultancy Unit of USM till 1990.

Any unforgettable experience(s)? Fondest memories?

The meetings with Tan Sri Hamzah Sendut and the three Deans of the founding natural science schools – Biology, Chemistry, Physics & Mathematics, serviced by the administrative staff, normally started in the mornings and ended at dinner time. Morning tea, lunch and evening coffee and sometimes even dinner were served at the meeting table whilst discussions were on-going. Such intensive meetings were held almost every working day of the week since there was so much to plan and document for the start of the academic session of a newly founded university.

The environment created by Tan Sri Hamzah Sendut was very invigorating, cordial and challenging and made everyone concerned contribute his highest level of creativity, ingenuity and brilliance in charting the path of the newly established university.

The Vice-Chancellor’s get-to-know sessions for newly recruited staff at the Water Tower in Minden Campus were very welcome by all who joined the university and helped create a cordial family-like atmosphere admired and respected by all. There was such a collegiate and comrade atmosphere throughout then which seems to be lacking now.

The cooperation given by most of the foreign staff during my tenure as Dean was excellent. They spared no effort to undertake administrative and committee work on top of their academic commitments. Minimal research was undertaken since there was a lack of research facilities and they were very busy with teaching and administrative duties.

The School of Physics decided to create group centred research, a novel idea at that time, and research groups in Solid State Physics, X-ray Crystallography, Geophysics, Biophysicsand Theoretical Physics, with coordinators, were established. This policy decision led to the selective hiring of academic staff and the prudent utilisation of funds to purchase research equipment to be used collectively and effectively thereby strengthening research in the School. I am proud that the structure is still intact.

On joining the University, I initiated the formation of the University Staff Golf Club to compete in the Inter-Varsity golf tournaments against the University of Singapore and other Malaysian institutions of higher learning for the Y.T.M. Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Golf Challenge Trophy. DYMM Sultan Azlan Shah as University’s Pro-Chancellor was the Patron.

For record purposes, golfing diplomacy did play a small part in getting Minden Barracks transferred from the British to the University, with the cooperation of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Education.

 

Any unforgettable events or incidents that happened in USM during that time?

Two students I taught at the University of Malaya joined USM and made very significant contributions. Dr. R. Ratnalingam [now Dato’], a Rhodes Scholar from Oxford University was the first permanent staff member of University of Penang. He later rose to be Professor of Solid State Physics and Deputy Dean, then Dean of the School of Physics. He took optional retirement and became the first Director of Penang Medical College where from he retired as its President. Dr. Fun Hoong Kun was selected for USM’s Academic Staff Training Scheme and he graduated from Purdue University in Solid State Endor Spectroscopy. While serving as a lecturer at USM, he was persuaded to join the crystallography research group. Now Professor Fun Hoong Kun is the top publisher of research papers in USM and in Malaysia and in January 2014 he was cited as No: 6 in world-wide ranking of publishers of crystallographic papers by the Cambridge Structural Database. USM awarded him Emeritus Professor of Crystallography. He is concurrently Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.

Another two Academic Staff Training Scheme fellows have gone on to chart commendable careers outside USM. Dr. Karsono Ahmad Dasuki went on to become the Director of USM’s Off Campus Centre. He then became Professor of Physics at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and rose to become the Director of its SPACE and eventually it’s Pusat Kajian Sains Fundamental. Currently he serves as a contract Professor at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. Dr. Abdul Latif Awang rose to serve as the Dean of the School of Physics from about 1985 to 1995. He was then drawn to serve the nation in the political field as a State Legislative Assembly member for Trengganu and as a member of its State Executive Committee.

The planning and execution of the physical developments and the provision of facilities and services related to the School of Physics and Mathematics too gives me great satisfaction. From Maktab Perguruan I headed the move to the long-houses at the Minden Campus and then to the current permanent building for the School of Physics and Mathematics at the Minden Campus.

As Dean I had to be closely involved with the design and construction of the School’s buildings. I had to ensure that the floor-loadings for the research laboratories above the ground floor were able to withstand the weight of heavy research equipment to be installed and the Biophysics laboratory was radiation-leak proof. This architectural aspect, although foreign to me, was undertaken as a learning process and I am proud that the buildings are serving their intended purpose.

Before the School of Physics was created, it accommodated both the Physics and Mathematics disciplines. Eventually Mathematics became a separate school in its own right.

Our Machines and Wood Workshop and the Electronics Workshop were expanded to serve as a central facilityfor the university thereby fulfilling the needs of teaching laboratories and providing support for the research activities of the scientific community. It gives me great pride to note that Datuk Prof. Dr. Ahmad Yusoff bin Hassan, currently serving at USM’s Engineering campus as Professor, commenced his career at USM as the Head of this central facility. He was then selected for USM’s Academic Staff Training Scheme and upon his successful return served at USM’s Engineering Campus as an academic staff. Subsequently he rose to be Director of USM’s Engineering Campus. He has also served as the Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka.

Likewise to keep abreast with academic administrative developments elsewhere, we planned, organised and executed the shift from the traditional three terms paper based academic system to the two semester unit based system in the 1970s in keeping with modern university education to cater for bright students and those who want to go at a different pace. An earlier challenge was condensing the four year undergraduate programme in the sciences with Honours, traditionally offered by other universities, to be offered at USM from 1969 as a three years programme. This move was successful in drawing high calibre students to USM. More satisfying was the elation from seeing our graduates finding easy acceptance for post graduate entry at world reputed universities overseas.

Introduction of the Students Training Scheme i.e. short attachment during semester breaks with industry and government departments, for all science students who have completed their first year was very rewarding. It gave students first-hand exposure to working conditions in industry and government departments. It also gave the industry and departments an opportunity to get the students to study some their minor problems and also to identify good candidates for employment on graduation. Apparently this scheme has been abandoned!

USM was the first university in this country to introduce Off Campus Education. Physics and the other sciences were the early ones to get involved. Now this has become a trend in this country with universities being established just for Off Campus education.

USM was the first university in the country to offer Foundation Science (Matriculation Courses) for Bumiputra science students who have passed their SPM examination. The aim was to get the academic staff to tutor them to the STPM level and on passing gain admission to the University. The programme went viral with all universities adopting it.

As a physicist and Founding Dean I am proud that the School of Physics produced the first Ph.D. in physics, although we were not the oldest physics department in the country. Donald Chuah Guan Siong was the candidate and Dr. Ratnalingam was the supervisor. Dr. Donald Chuah was the earliest researcher in the country on solar photovoltaic cells with support from the French Government. In recognition of his achievements the French Government awarded him the Chevalier of the Ordre des Palmes Academiques (Knight of the Order of Academic Palms). He currently serves as a Pastor and Preacher.

TheNon-academic staff was also encouraged and morally supported to continuously upgrade their careers through further studies and qualify to enrol in the Off Campus programme. Laboratory Assistants Ong Sew Eng, Loh Ah Chuan, Amanjeet Singh, Fong Sew Kuan and Tan Eng Cheang undertook the challenge and all graduated with Honours degrees from USM, with Ong Sew Eng scoring a 1st Class. They have moved on to secure managerial and consultancy positions in their careers; while Fong Sew Kuan served the School of Physics as a Science Officer. He continues to serve USM, on contract basis, as USM’s Industry Liaison Officer with the Chancellery.

V V Sarachandran was the Administrative Assistants who headed the administrative support services of the School. He was promoted to Assistant Registrar, then Senior Assistant Registrar and eventually Principal Assistant Registrar. Along with these promotions, he was the recipient of a scholarship to undertake a post-graduate Diploma in Management Science at INTAN (adjudged the Best Student), and then awarded study leave for the Bachelor of Law at the University of Leeds (securing a Second Class (Upper) Honours at the age of 43). Upon his return from Leeds, he served the multifarious legal needs of the University. In 2000, the University’s Council seconded him to assist in the launch and operations of USM’s commercial arm, Usains Holding Sdn. Bhd. He continued to serve this organisation and concluded his career as its Senior Manager for Corporate & Legal Affairs.

I also note with pride that many physicists have made invaluable contributions in the governance of USM as Deputy Vice-Chancellors (Professor Dato’ Dr. Ahmad Shukri Mustapa Kamal and Professor Emeritus Lim Koon Ong), and as Director of an Institution within USM (Professor Aziz Tajuddin), while one has gone on to head various private higher educational institutions (Dr. Koo Wee Kor). I hope the administrative training they received while serving with the School of Physics aids them in discharging their greater responsibilities.

Being bestowed Datoship on the behest of DYMM Sultan Azlan Shah was a singular honour since I have not served in the State of the Perak. My appointment by DYMM Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Azlan Shah as a Royal Commissioner, Royal Commission of Enquiry, Bright Sparklers Sdn. Bhd. Fire Tragedy, Sungai Buloh in May 1991 was a rare honour to me in person and to USM in particular.

Please share your views on USM – what it should be now and what it should be in the future? 

Having left Minden Campus since 1990, I have rarely visited the School of Physics. The only occasion that I was invited back was in December 2010 by the then Dean, Professor Zainuriah Hassan who organised “Majlis Penghargaan” to acknowledge receipt of my collection of physics, crystallography, computing and mathematics books.

From information gathered then, all I can state is that during my tenure as Dean we created the post of one Deputy Dean who handled mainly student matters. There was an Administrative Assistant who managed the Dean’s office. In 2010, I noticed that apart from the Dean, there were three [3] Deputy Deans, five [5] Programme Chairmen, three [3] Coordinators, a Chief Science Officer and two [2] Assistant Registrars.

I took note that Applied Physics and Engineering Physics have been offered as new subjects. Being in the dark since my departure about developments at the School of Physics, especially its current student enrolment, academic programmes, research outputs, facilities and services, I am unable to make any comments about the future of the School. Emeritus Professor Fun Hoong Kun keeps me informed of his personal academic endeavours. I would like to suggest that research must be actively encouraged, financed and sustained for USM to maintain its Apex University status. In any academic institution of higher learning, academic excellence and meritocracy must be given greatest emphasis starting from its leadership downwards. Recruitment, promotions and appointments to positions of academic leadership must be based on academic excellence. USM’s motto is WE LEAD. Therefore USM’s leadership too must be by example.

Dato’s perspective on USM - can we be one of the best universities in the country as well as in the world? What could we do to be among the best? And how to compete?

Of course every university should strive to be the best not only in the country it is located in but regionally and internationally. USM has equal potential as any other university in Malaysia and it all depends whether it is the policy of the university to encourage and lay strong emphasis on research publications that are accepted for publication in internationally recognised journals and are regularly cited. Not being fully aware of the criteria used by international evaluators to declare which university is the best, I can only stress that active research at the international level must be encouraged in an academic institution. USM does have some leading researchers whose publications are internationally recognised. It goes without saying that researchers must be given the time, provided research facilities and adequate funding to devote themselves wholeheartedly into research. Research must be group centred i.e. each research group must have at least two or more active researchers in it to enable them to collectively interact with each other academically and then collectively plan the long term research activities for the group, to ensure maximum utilisation of the very expensive equipment acquired and also to ensure that if one of them were to leave, the group’s facilities are continuously used and the approved projects continue to produce results of high quality. Of course there must be rigorous monitoring by the peers to weed out those not performing to commitments made when applying for funds. Outstanding performance by researchers should be given due recognition and reward in terms of perks, privileges and promotions. If absolutely necessary, foreign staff with international standing in a nationally important research area be hired to act as catalyst as is being done in Singapore.

I wish to suggest that USM encourages and financially supports their recognised and productive researchers an opportunity to attach themselves to institutions and research groups overseas where internationally recognised scientists in their specific field of research exist to interact academically and to upgrade their skills and methodologies. Getting a placement in an internationally renowned institution will be a test of their academic standing in their field. Such international linkages and research collaboration is a must for USM to be noticed and to achieve global status. Emeritus Professor Fun Hoong Kun is a glowing example of a Malaysian researcher who has achieved international recognition in crystallography and has had students from many countries in Asia and the Middle East seeking attachment for post-doctoral experiences at USM. He is also a Honorary Professor of several universities in China.

The University should also consider twinning arrangements with internationally recognised and world renowned research institutions/universities worldwide whose areas of research are considered most important to our national economy and we do have recognised researchers working in that field. This arrangement will enable staff of sister institutions to spend time researching in each other’s campus on a regular basis. The constant interaction at the highest research level will bring rich dividends for both parties.

Industry-university collaboration and undertaking joint industrial research and product development will not only help promote research that caters to the needs of the industry and country but will also enhance and boost industrial R & D. Students and lecturers undertaking industrial attachments will have a better idea of job opportunities and careers that involve Research & Development.

Dato’ Dr. Chatar Singh, Foundation Professor of Physics and Professorial Dean, School of Physics & Mathematics [now School of Physics], August 2014