At my first university, California State University, Chico campus (CSUC), I created two personal records. In 1976, I was the youngest ever to have broken the American Chemical Society (ACS) record for scoring the highest marks in an ACS US-nationwide Chemistry entrance exam. The following year, in 1977 (in my second year), I was offered my first job (as Math tutor) by the Mathematics Dept. Job offers in Mathematics never stopped coming. I was also offered to attend Rochester University at the advice of my Chemistry professor.
At my first graduate institution, the University of California, Riverside campus (UCR), I was invited to join the Physics Dept, Standford University at Palo Alto. 1n 1981-2 when I was 22-3, I wrote my first Chemistry textbook when studying for my Graduate Exam in Biochemistry (unpublished & handwritten in pencil). I invented my first prototype DNA/RNA vertical electrophoresis unit in 1981-2 (still have it) whilst in California, before Biotechnology came to Malaysia. I was advised to remain in the US and become a US citizen.
At my second graduate institution, the University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Crawley, Perth campus, I made one personal record. In 1989, I submitted the best PhD thesis in Physiology/Medicine. That PhD thesis became a resource book for further biotechnology research for many other Australian researchers.
Back on home ground, I introduced computerisation for clinical laboratories in November 1990. Today, almost all clinical labs in Malaysia are adequately computerised. I have yet to address the issue of a nationwide ICT network for health, medicine and teaching. I had given a keynote address on Biotechnology and Bioinformatics which moved research in that direction. I have worked in many research disciplines and in administration. I am now in ICT, especially in e-learning and I am involved with applications for off-shore medical programs. I do database design (functional requirement document, FRD) for free consultancy.
In my spare time, I usually cook, read and listen to the news. I'm married and have six grown-up children, two sons and four daughters. My eldest daughter is married (she's in Aeronautical Engineering at UPM). My elder son is an accountant in Cheras. The rest are still studying - second daughter is studying Medicine in Bangalore, younger son is studying Multimedia at KUIS, a daughter in Form 5 and the youngest daughter is in Standard 6.
Historically and socially, I am a Jawi Peranakan. I am descended from the Hadrami Arabs of Malacca who married to the Chinese Muslims at the time of Princess Hang Li Po. I am also descended from the Sindhi male lineage from my Penang grandfather who married my Ceylonese Burgher grandmother who came to Malaya from Ceylon. I am therefore a heavy mix of the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, the Orient and with traces of Caucasian. I am grouped as a Malay in Malaysia but mistaken as a Chicano and grouped as a Hispanic in California! I am Filipino to the Filipinos (Mahal kita!), Indian to the Australians (G'day mate!) but 'orang luar' to the Kelantanese Malay. This is my wonderful background and I am thankful for what I am.
Historically and socially, I am a Jawi Peranakan. I am descended from the Hadrami Arabs of Malacca who married to the Chinese Muslims at the time of Princess Hang Li Po. I am also descended from the Sindhi male lineage from my Penang grandfather who married my Ceylonese Burgher grandmother who came to Malaya from Ceylon. I am therefore a heavy mix of the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, the Orient and with traces of Caucasian. I am grouped as a Malay in Malaysia but mistaken as a Chicano and grouped as a Hispanic in California! I am Filipino to the Filipinos (Mahal kita!), Indian to the Australians (G'day mate!) but 'orang luar' to the Kelantanese Malay. This is my wonderful background and I am thankful for what I am.
