New Straits Times
USM neurosciences professor receives M. Balasegaram Trainer Award
By Sharifah Mahsinah Abdullah | 28 August 2023

Prof Datuk Dr Jafri Malin Abdullah. -PIC COURTESY OF USM

KOTA BARU: Prof Datuk Dr Jafri Malin Abdullah from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in Kubang Kerian has been chosen as the recipient of the 5th M. Balasegaram Trainer Award.

The Professor in Neurosciences from USM's School of Medical Sciences received the award in conjunction with the Golden Jubilee Anniversary, Annual Scientific Congress (ASC) which was held in Kuala Lumpur recently.

The award was presented to him at the ceremony by Master, Academy of Medicine of Malaysia (AMM), Professor Dr Rosmawati Mohamed.

Also present was Malaysia College of Surgeons president Dr Siow Sze Li.

The programme was jointly organised by AMM's surgeons college,Malaysian Association of Paediatric Surgery, Malaysian Society of Hepato-Pancraeto-Biliary Surgeons, and Malaysian Upper Gastrointestinal Surgical Society.

Two recipients were chosen for this year's award. Besides Dr Jafri Malin, the other was Dr Clarence Lei (urology).

Dr Jafri said the M.Balasegaram trainer award from the College of Surgeons Academy Medicine Malaysia was a very prestigious award for surgeons who have trained surgeons past, present and the future.

"It requires teamwork from neurosurgeons from the Health Ministry and Universities( UM,UKM,USM) as well as private sector neurosurgeons in Malaysia.

Prof Datuk Dr Jafri Malin Abdullah from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) receives the 5th M. Balasegaram Trainer Award. -PIC COURTESY OF JAFRI MALIN

"I would like to thank you all, especially the 121 neurosurgeons that I have helped teach over the last 22 years.

"I also would like to dedicate this award to my parents Lt Gen Abdullah Samsudin and late mother as well as my wife Dr Siti Fatimah Abdul Rahman and my children and all family members for their support," said the 60-year-old father of six.

To date, Dr Jafri who is also USM's Brain Behaviour Research Cluster chairman has trained 121 Malaysian neurosurgeons, whose performances have been ranked among the top in the world, on par with surgeons from South Korea and even outranking those from USA, Canada and Japan.

The M. Balasegaram Trainer award is given to a deserving recipient or recipients in honour of the late Datuk Dr M Balasegaram, one of Malaysia's most distinguished doctors.

The recipients follow a long line of renowned medical practitioners/academics to have been honoured for their contributions in their respective fields.

Previous recipients were Professor Datuk Dr Kandasami (2017), Datuk Dr Prabir Ranjan Sengupta (2018), Professor Emerita Freda Meah (2019), Datuk Dr Ragupathy Naidu, and Datuk Dr K Somasundaram (2021).