Malaysia’s pioneer Sikh scientist made Emeritus Professor
The 90-year old retired academician Dr Chatar Singh Beriam Singh was the backbone of the university’s School of Physics and Mathematics which he helped establish in 1969
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) recognised the lifetime contribution of scholar Dr Chatar Singh when it appointed him an emeritus professor.
The 90-year old retired academician was the backbone of the university’s School of Physics and Mathematics which he helped establish in 1969.
Born in Taiping, Perak, in 1929, the conferment last week (24 Sept) was the icing on the cake for the son of a self-employed private taxi driver and housewife who have made many valuable contributions to the Penang-based university.
“I am extremely happy and I feel extremely lucky,” he shared when asked how he felt on the conferment.
In the conferment citation, Dr Chatar was recognised as the founding father of Universiti Pulau Pinang and USM as well as ‘fully responsible’ for the establishment of the School of Physics and Mathematics.
“The role and contribution of Dato’ Dr. Chatar Singh in the history of USM’s establishment is immense,” USM School of Physics Dean Prof Dr Azlan Abdul Aziz said in the citation.
Since the establishment of USM, the university has been renowned for its innovative approach to higher education and administration.
Dr Chatar was noted for his direct involvement in several USM ‘brainchild’ initiatives, including the Geophysics and Biophysics Studies program, currently known as Medical Physics, which was the first in Malaysia.
The program led to USM producing the first Ph.D graduate in Physics in Malaysia.
“He was a dedicated scholar,” said Dr Manjit Singh Sidhu, author of Pride of Lions: Eminent Sikhs in Malaysia, which also featured Dr Chatar. – Asia Samachar
