KUCHING, March 12: Dr John Chan Sung Tong has been elected as the new chairman of Institut Kimia Malaysia (IKM) Sarawak Branch.
He and his committee members were elected during the branch’s 33rd annual general meeting (AGM) held at Imperial Hotel here on March 9.
In a statement, Chan said he was confident IKM (Sarawak Branch) would continue to excel and ready to scale greater heights as it was now a well-oiled body, thanks to their third chairman, Dr Alvin Chai Lian Kuet, who assumed the position from 2013 to 2019
He noted that in the past six years under the chairmanship of Chai, IKM (Sarawak Branch) experienced continuous growth and transformation.
“Our roles and functions have been focused on membership development through organising workshops and seminars and providing supporting services to the government, particularly in promoting science and technology in schools and rural communities,” he said.
Under Chai, Chan said IKM (Sarawak Branch) had been organising Karnival Kimia Malaysia (K2M) to promote chemistry to urban schools around Kuching and to the rural communities, including in Betong and Tebakang.
IKM (Sarawak Branch) had also organised, among others, a very successful International Conference on Chemical Education in 2016, which had definitely showcased Sarawak to the world. And the other notable symposia organised include the Seminar on Environmental Management for Sustainability, Workshops on Water Sampling and Analysis, Seminar on ISO 17025 and training courses for IKM Part1 Licentiate Examination (LMIC) and Workshop on Instrumental Analysis.
“Chai has always had members in mind, especially those working at places far from Kuching. Seminar and workshops were specifically held in Miri, Bintulu and Sibu to provide access to members and the public from the other divisions in Sarawak,” highlighted Chan.
“Chai has continued the tradition of keeping IKM (Sarawak Branch) like one happy family. Without fail, every year he organised IKM (Sarawak Branch) Family Day and IKM (Sarawak Branch) Night to appreciate the efforts and dedications of members and friends in supporting the Institute.”
Chan added that Chai’s contributions to IKM (Sarawak Branch) were significant and highly appreciated by its members.
During the AGM, Chai was appointed as IKM (Sarawak Branch) advisor alongside with Chan Woon Peng, who was the inaugural chairman, where he held the helm for 25 years since its inception in 1986. The second chairman was Prof Dr Lau Seng, who held the chairmanship for two years, from 2011 to 2013.
IKM is a statutory professional organisation incorporated under the Chemists Act 1975 on November 1, 1977, and is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment & Climate Change (MESTECC).
In 1986, its first branch, IKM (Sarawak Branch), was inaugurated and in later years five other branches were established to cater and service the needs and interests of fellow chemists throughout Malaysia. — DayakDaily
