Degree Ceremony & Re-union Dinner postponed to 31st of July 2010

The postponement of the Reunion Dinner and Degree Ceremony from 15^th of January 2010 to 31^st of July 2010 is to allow ULMAA to be formally registered with the Registrar of Societies in Malaysia.

This will be the first time that fresh graduates of the University can have their degree ceremony in Malaysia so that more relatives and friends can participate in the celebration. The alumni who received their degree or degrees in absentia can now attend the ceremony as well so that relatives and friends can join the formal celebration.

Every effort is made to reach out to as many Malaysian alumni in the country or elsewhere in other parts of the world to come together for the first official event of the University of Liverpool in Malaysia. It is time to have a formal platform to network and connect with one another in the spirit of caring, sharing, helping one another in one way or the other, motivating one another, and above all else to maintain good relationship with the Alma Mater.

In view of the globalisation and liberalization, we cannot be living in an island alone, so it is good to come out of the comfort zone, and leverage with one another to make a better world.

The future is in our hands, and we need to do something not just for ourselves alone but for the society in general to make a more vibrant and responsible society. We may not be as wealthy as Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and all the other richest people around the world, but we can contribute opinions, thinking, time, energy, knowledge, wisdom, or anything that can make the world a better place with peace, harmony, tolerance and better understanding of one another.

We need great leaders who can inspire and motivate others to learn how to live together for a better world. Teamwork is not easy to achieve if the leaders are not able to set the positive environment, platform, social network for others to participate in a positive spirit of leveraging with one another in order to synergise towards good future.

Let us all come together to cherish the good and bad times we had at the great University, as well as to move forward in tandem with good teamwork to help ourselves to be better and more competitive so that we can help the younger undergraduates and fresh graduates to be better prepared for the future challenges.

Rome is not built in a day! It is hard work to set up and maintain national alumni associations. Once these are set up then there is the ultimate goal of these bodies networking and leveraging with one another to provide the powerful global alumni organization eventually.

With global mobility of alumni and business ventures, it will be a wonderful vision of having a global body to connect with all the national associations with the aim of helping one another to grow in one way or the other.

Together we can make a better world.

Yan-Goh Ng, Ph.D.(Liverpool), B.Eng.(First Class Honours)(ESIM)

Malaysia Alumni Ambassador

The University of Liverpool

e-mail: ambma@liv.ac.uk

Interesting or Successful Alumni Series – Vice Chancellor, CEO, etc

Interesting or Successful Alumni Series – Vice Chancellor, CEO, etc

One of the alumni of the University of Liverpool is the Vice Chancellor of a local university, and we shall get more information about him soon.

Another alumnus is the CEO of a large government-linked corporation in Singapore.

We have a number of full professors, medical experts, engineers, lawyers, architects, entrepreneurs, management leaders, community leaders, accountants, and other professionals.

If you know of any interesting or successful alumni, please let me have the brief background, e-mail address and the telephone contact number. Time for us to give these people the due recognition or award to motivate the others to progress in their career in life.

Who know you may be an interesting or successful alumnus or alumna, so do come forward so that we can be the role model or something.

University of Liverpool Graduation Ceremony and Dinner on the 15th January 2010 in Kuala Lumpur

The ceremony will be for any alumni who did not graduate in the University of Liverpool (UoL) in person, and also those who wish to process again (although priority would be given to those who did not attend their graduation ceremonies).

For the UoL alumni, please respond to the following questionnaire by 30th June 2009. Please pass it on to your relatives and friends who are UoL alumni

1) Did you attend in person your graduation ceremony in Liverpool or did you graduate in absentia?
2) Would a UoL graduation ceremony in Malaysia interest you (i.e. would you want to take part in a UoL graduation ceremony in Kuala Lumpur)?
3) Would you be prepared to pay for gown hire?
4) Would you be prepared to pay for a professional photograph as a keepsake?
5) Would you bring family members? If so, how many?
6) Would you attend a celebration dinner after the ceremony?
7) Would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to the celebration dinner? How much?

No doubt the event will be held in seven months’ time, it will be good to get as many alumni to confirm their intention to attend as soon as possible. We are working very hard to reach out to the 1,000 plus alumni in Malaysia to support ULMAA (University of Liverpool Malaysian Alumni Association).

ULMAA is constantly looking out for volunteers who can provide the inspiration and motivation to organize events and functions to keep the alumni social networking going. Ex-officio of the UoL Malaysian Students’ Society or Malaysian Students’ Societies Council (MPPM) are invited to help build the ULMAA network.

Let the spirit of UoL, be the guiding and binding force for a successful networking.

ULMAA’s Interesting & Successful Alumni Series – Dr. Mohamed Kassim

Dr. Mohamed Kassim, the leader of “Malaysians for Peace” NGO (MFP NGO) voluntary medical team.

Dr Mohamed Kassim Bin Abdul Rahim has the Degree of Master in Tropical Paediatric at the Tropical School Of Medicine, The University of Liverpool, United Kingdom. He is a Fellow of The Royal Society Of Tropical Medicine And Hygiene, London, United Kingdom.

He also received Bachelor in Medicine for Surgery, Obstetric And Gynecology, Community Medicine, Paediatrics, Opthalmalogy, Dermatology, and Psychiatry.

He was the only Doctor who was in charge for the success of the North Pole Expedition (Expedisi Khutub Utara) programme under Dato Abdul Azeez bin Abdul Rahim Putera of Malaysia.

He was the team doctor for the climb of Mount Kinabalu on the 31st of August 2007, the 50th National Day celebration of Malaysia.

He led the MFP NGO team, to Cyclone Sidr area in Sharumkhulla and Bagerhat, in Bangladesh in December 2007.

He has First Dan Black Belt In Taek Won Do (ITF) and had represented College And Intervarsity.

He was the Paediatrician (Tropical Paediatric) at Mawar Medical Centre, Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. He was the Medical Director of Mawar Medical Centre. He was also a Paediatrician (Tropical Paediatric), the Chief Executive Officer and the Medical Director of Meru Medical Centre, Klang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

He is now heavily involved with VOLUNTARY SERVICES
by taking active part at various times in the medical field.

1. During the service in the Malaysian Armed Forces, he was in charge of the Medical And Nutrition Services under the Jiwa Murni programmes in the various regions in the states of Pahang. Terengganu and Kelantan in Malaysia.
2. He led the medical team under MFP NGO to war torn areas in Afghanistan
3. He led MFP NGO to tsunami affected region in Banda Acheh, Indonesia
4. He worked with the Journalists as a medical volunteer during the floods in Bangladesh
5. He performed free mass circumcision for children from the lower income group from 1983 – 2004 during school holidays
6. He sponsored various sports events and games in rural Meru in Klang, and encouraging youngsters to get involved in sports and games
7. He conducted free annual medical camps under “Rakyat Mesra Kesihatan”
8. He led a number of medical teams to earth quake areas in Balakot, Muzaffarabad, and Battagram, in Pakistan in 2005/2006
9. He led the medical team for MFP NGO to earth quake hit areas in Djogjakarta especially in Bantul in 2006
10. He led the medical team for MFP NGO to Lebanon to serve at the Lebanon Israel border
11. He led the medical team for MFP NGO to flood hit areas in Johore in 2008.

ULMAA’s Interesting and Successful Alumni Series – Professor Balbir Singh

ULMAA’s Interesting and Successful Alumni Series – Professor Balbir Singh

As we begin to reach out to the University of Liverpool alumni in Malaysia, we have found Professor Balbir Singh from Johore who has built up his reputation and track record in Malaria research. We shall schedule a special interview with him in the near future.

Professor Balbir Singh
- PhD. Immunology/Microbiology (University of Liverpool)
- MSc. Applied Parasitology & Medical Entomology (University of Liverpool)
- BSc. Honours (2:1) Biochemistry (University of Liverpool)

He is currently the Director, Malaria Research Centre of the Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, at the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.

One of the current research projects is on Molecular epidemiological, population genetic and clinical studies on Plasmodium knowlesi and other potentially zoonotic malaria parasites in Malaysian Borneo. Principal Investigators: B. Singh, D. Conway & J. Cox-Singh. Project Grant from The Wellcome Trust, United Kingdom of RM 1,614,760 (2006-2009).

Total research funding acquired todate is approximately RM 5.26 million (RM 4,084,840, UK pounds sterling 158,450 & US $14,880) from The Wellcome Trust, The Beit Trust, The World Health Organisation, The Malaysian Ministry of Science, Technology & the Environment, Universiti Sains Malaysia and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

He was the local supervisor for Dr Mohd. Rusli Abdullah, a PhD student registered at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine on project entitled ‘The Impact of Environmental Changes on Malaria Transmission in the State of Kelantan, Malaysia’ (1994-1997). Dr. Mohd, Rusli completed his PhD successfully in 1998. He was also supervising Dr Elizabeth Mathai, a Visiting Fellow from India, at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine on malarialogical and immunological techniques (1986-1987).

He was Local Secretary for Malaysia for The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, United Kingdom and Honorary Fellow of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom.

Updates on the Special ULMAA Event on the 15th January 2010

Updates on the Special ULMAA Event on the 15th January 2010

The Vice Chancellor has been booked to grace the Special ULMAA event scheduled on the 15th January 2010.

His Excellency The British High Commissioner has agreed in principle to be the Guest of Honour unless there are circumstances beyond H.E.’s control. H.E. has also extended the invitation to the Director of the British Council who has been invited as a VVIP.

We are still looking around for VVIP from amongst the alumni. Please help look around for a couple of them and let us have the contact information to proceed with the formal invitation.

The Organising Committee has been tasked with a number of responsibilities, and shall be trying hard to reach out to as many alumni as possible. ULMAA is targeting to have at least 200 alumni to the event who in turn can bring along their spouse, family, girl friends, boy friends, acquaintances, associates, and friends to make it a grand event.

The alumni-get-alumni tactic shall be deployed in order to maximize the reach to various social networks so that we can have as many alumni to witness the official launching of ULMAA, degree ceremony and re-union dinner.

The Organising Committee is also inviting volunteers to provide a variety of entertainments from our talented alumni. Please come forward if you happen to have any special or unique talent.

Yan-Goh Ng, Ph.D. (Liverpool), B.Eng. (Liverpool)
International Alumni Ambassador for Malaysia
Alumni Relations
The University of Liverpool
e-mail. ambma@liv.ac.uk
Mobile: +6 017 363 8888
(Voluntary advisor to ULMAA)

Grand Re-union Dinner & Degree Ceremony on the 15th January 2010

Grand Re-union Dinner and Degree Ceremony on the 15^th January 2010

Well finally, ULMAA has been kicked started after some soul searching. Not that we have gone into hibernation for the past 5 months, but rather we need to work out the constitution to guide us in the running of the association regulated by the Registrar of Societies (ROS).

Incidentally, we have one of the initiators of the Malaysian Students’ Society back in the ‘70’s at the University of Liverpool, Mr. Ir. Chian Khai Tan, to volunteer as the President of the Pro-tem Committee. Once ULMAA has been duly registered with the Registrar of Societies, then it is easier to operate with the rule of law for the convenience of the members.

The Deputy President of the Pro-tem Committee, Mr. Ir. Azhar Qureshi, has been tasked as the Chairman of the Organising Committee to ensure that the grand event must be a resounding success.

The degree ceremony is brought to Malaysia for those graduates who could not attend the scheduled convocation at the University for one reason or another, to have it in Malaysia. It is good for those who want the parents, relatives and friends to witness the academic achievement through a formal recognition. The Organising Committee is setting a limit of 25 for this time around in view of the time constraint, so it will be on a first come first served basis.

We are scouting for distinguished alumnus to be the VVIP or VIP for the event, so if you know of any one who can fit the bill please let us know.

In order to make the evening fun and exciting, we will have on top of those speeches, a variety of entertainments from our talented alumni. Come forward if you happen to have any special or unique talent.

Watch out for more exciting news and views for this upcoming grand re-union dinner and degree ceremony.

Yan-Goh Ng, Ph.D. (Liverpool), B.Eng. (Liverpool)

International Alumni Ambassador for Malaysia

Alumni Relations

The University of Liverpool

e-mail. ambma@liv.ac.uk

Mobile: +6 017 363 8888

Happy New Year 2009

Happy New Year 2009

Happy New Year 2009? What are your resolutions for 2009?

It is the time of the year that people begin to wrap up and assess the performance with the view of improving it.

The year 2008 has witnessed the many changes, expected or unexpected, in politics, economy, financial industry and people. The collapse of the financial industry has triggered off many other issues. Some experts predict that 2009 and beyond can be akin to the depression of the 1930’s or worse, but then bad times or good times there will be successes and failures.

Social networking and connection are powerful strategies for leveraging, collaboration and co-operation. It is the synergy that may improve the chances of survival for the career or business. It is about sharing and caring that can provide us the happiness, harmony and peace of mind.

It is about the opportunities at our disposal, and some are luckier than others. Without luck, there is also the possibility of goal setting, faith and blessing.

Even though in general the outlook for 2009 is rather gloomy, but the conventional wisdom tells us that for every crisis there are opportunities as well.

Millions of jobs will be lost in the months to come, making it very important to treasure our core competence while continue to learn new things to become more flexible and adaptable to the turbulent economy, volatile world and the dynamic socio-economic landscape.

Work hard and be happy!

See you on the 28th December 2008 at Hotel Singgahsana Hotel PJ

See you all at Hotel Singgahsana PJ for the informal gathering of alumni

The informal gathering of the University of Liverpool alumni at the Hotel Singgahsana PJ on the 28^th of December 2008 is a good kick-start for ULMAA.

In spite of the Christmas and New Year festive seasons, the number of alumni turning up is in line with the goal of a minimum of 50. No doubt this is less than 10% of the alumni in Malaysia but it is a good beginning. In the process, we are also able to build up a list of around 200 alumni that can hopefully expand to the remaining alumni who are still residing in Malaysia.

The informal gathering is the prelude to the grand re-union dinner and special award ceremony to be held in 2009.

The Pro-tem Committee has demonstrated the world-class leadership to make this gathering possible without any fund at its disposal.

The missions for the informal gathering are as follows:

1) To allow alumni to network and connect with one another

2) To allow the alumni the opportunity to get to know the Alumni Ambassador of the University of Liverpool cum Advisor and the Pro-tem Committee

3) To get views, opinions and suggestions on the activities for ULMAA

Please confirm your attendance if you have not done so.

See you there.

Yan-Goh Ng, Ph.D.(Liverpool), B.Eng. (Hons) (Liverpool)

Merry Christmas to all the Christian alumni

Merry Christmas to all the Christian Alumni

When I was studying at St. Andrew’s Secondary School, I was asked by the Catholic Father during the moral studies to read The Gospel according to St. Luke. I am a born and bred Buddhist (not to be confused with Taoist). It was not a problem to read the Gospel to the class, even though I was not a Catholic. It helps me a great deal in understanding Catholicism and quite a bit of the Old Testament. There were a couple of Muslims in the class who had to go for the Islamic studies instead.

Christmas had been a very challenging time for me during the University days, simply because that was probably the time when all the shops were closed and the best I could do is too cook instant noodles. If I were lucky maybe I would be visiting some of my Christian friends. The best part of Christmas is to dream for a white one that is rare in Liverpool for sure.

It is going to be an unusual Christmas this year because of the various global events and issues.

My Christmas wishes are as follows:

a) Together we can make the world to be a more peaceful and harmonious place to live in

b) Let there be no more war or aggression, as we can resolve issues amicably through negotiation, respect for one another, working together, understanding each other, and above all else understand that what goes around comes around

c) ULMAA can continue to gain momentum and continue to provide the platform to develop world class leaders, but not necessarily world famous

d) To give whatever we can in kind, in cash, in spirit or whatever so that the world becomes a better place

If ever the Father Christmas is around, let him bless all of us with happiness in spite of all the real world issues and problems. We do not need money to buy happiness.

As a practicing Buddhist, may I take this opportunity to wish all the Christian alumni a Merry Christmas from the bottom of my heart.

From

Yan-Goh Ng, Ph.D. (Liverpool) B.Eng.(Hons)(Liverpool)

International Alumni Ambassador for Malaysia

Ambassador.Malaysia@liverpool.ac.uk

ambma@liv.ac.uk