malaysiangAcademician Datuk Dr Tengku Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen Tengku Ibrahim has been appointed as the sixth president of Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) effective today.
ASM in a statement today said Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah gave his consent to Tengku Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen’s appointment for the term of March 1 this year till Feb 28, 2026.
Tengku Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen, 77, is a founding fellow of ASM and will adopt the role of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Advisor to the Nation as approved by the Cabinet on 22 June 2022.
He takes over from Prof Emerita Datuk Dr Asma Ismail, whose two terms of service ended on Dec 27 last year, as stipulated in the Academy of Sciences Act 1994.
“This responsibility is a duty that I will fulfil to the best of my ability while working closely with all parties to enhance the role of ASM with the scientific community of the country towards the strengthening of science, technology, innovation and economy (STIE) in Malaysia at the national and international level,” he said in the statement.
In the same statement, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Chang Lih Kang expressed hope that the newly appointed president would help strengthen the ecosystem and governance of the national STIE and is optimistic ASM will be able to provide significant benefits to society and the country based on the principles of Malaysia MADANI.
“MOSTI would like to congratulate him on his appointment and take this opportunity to express heartfelt appreciation to Prof Emerita Datuk Dr Asma Ismail, who has demonstrated her unwavering commitment to the ministry, ASM, and other stakeholders in championing the national STIE,” he said.
Tengku Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen holds a Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD in Engineering and Control Systems from the Institute of Science and Technology, University of Manchester and served as the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering of University of Malaya from 1975 to 1984.
“Tengku Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen is one of the individuals responsible for pioneering the country’s information and communication technology (ICT) field. He is also the founder and the first Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysian Institute of Microelectronic Systems (MIMOS) Berhad and led MIMOS from 1984 to 2005,” the statement said.
According to the statement, the country’s flagship for ICT development, known as Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) was established under his leadership.
Tengku Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen was also the first Secretary of the National IT Council (NITC) in 1994, responsible for drafting the National Information Technology Agenda (NITA). In 2000, he received the Award for Contributions to the Engineering Profession in Malaysia from the Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM).
At the international level, Tengku Mohd Azzman was appointed as a member of the United Nations ICT Task Force, responsible for developing and monitoring the development of the ICT industry in Asia.
He has also been a member of several engineering and ICT-related organisations, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID-UN), and advisory board member of the International Council for Computer Communications, the United States.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency
