USM, PENANG, 22 May 2017 – Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) School of Biological Sciences welcomed and celebrated the International Biodiversity Day 2017 by organising a ceremony to present the Mohamed Haniff Award to recipients who have excelled in the field of Biology.

Those present at the programme included the USM Community and Industry Collaboration Director, Tuan Syed Yusof Syed Kechik representing the USM Vice-Chancellor; representative of Penang Free School Foundation who is also the Vice-Chairman of the Mohamed Haniff Research & Development Trust Fund, Dato' Dr. Anwar Fazal; Organising Committee Chairman, Dr. Asyraf Mansor; Assistant Principal (Administration) Penang Free School, Ho Nean Chan; and Director of Penang Botanical Gardens, Mohd Azwa Shah Ahmad.

The Mohamed Haniff Award originated from a prominent botanist named Mohamed Haniff, who had dedicated his whole life to the development of the field of botany and who pioneered the establishment of the Penang Botanical Gardens.

He had devoted himself close to 40 years in the development of the field of botany, including its data bank and was said to have passed away at 58 years of age while doing his work.

Among the recipients of the Awards were Boey Tian Lian from Penang Free School, Hassan Bin Shaari from Penang Botanical Gardens and Shunmugam Vellosamy from PPSK USM who have excelled and contributed in the field of Biology in their respective areas of specialisation.

At the same ceremony, USM received a research grant valued at RM8,000 from the Mohamed Haniff Research & Development Trust Fund, which was presented by Dato' Dr. Anwar Fazal to Tuan Syed Yusof Syed Kechik.

The Curator of Penang Botanical Gardens and lecturers from PPSK also gave talks during the half-day programme.

Translation: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin