A great meeting with the Giants...

I had a meeting at FRIM this morning.. It was a great meeting; where I had a chance to meet several - some familiar faces and some new but was once a Giant in the governence and academics..

Some of the familiar ones were Prof. Abu Hassan Ahmad, the Dean of School of Biological Sciences, USM whom was my lecturer during my student days at USM' Bio. School. Next to him, on his left was Prof. Dr. Zubaid of UKM, a prominent prof in bats taxonomy and ecology. Next to Prof. Zubaid was Prof. Dr. Mohd Zakaria Ismail of institute of Bioscience, UM.

It's been a while since I met Prof. Dr. Zak (as what Prof. Peter Ng of RMBR, NUS call him..). He's the country top (freshwater) fish taxonomist whom I really respect. I had a chat with him after the meeting - quite a long chat about current situation in freshwater fish study in the country and a bit on his upcoming book on freshwater fishes of the Malay Peninsular(?). It's something I've been waiting for so long and I really hope it will be on the shelf soon.

In the meeting, there were Dr. Charles Leh of Sarawak Museum and Dr. Arthur Chong from Sabah Biodiversity Centre. I had a chance to talk to Dr. Charles Leh but just a quick hi.., and a hand shake to Dr. Arthur.. Dr. Saw Leng Guan and Dr. Pan were the other faces I frequently met. My last meeting with Dr. Saw was at XPDC Gunung Cameron Highland. I met Dr. Pan recently during the Biodiversity Inventory organised by PERHILITAN at Sg. Cicir (but we stayed at Tg. Bewah) Kenyir. Presented also in the meeting were Dr. Francis Ng (FAS) whom I first met during the Maliau Basin Scientific Expedition in 2006, Prof. Datin Dr. Maryati of Institute of Biodiversity Borneo, UMS. I'd no chance to talk to her, but it's great meeting her...

Apart of them, there were two 'juniors' - Zalipah of PERHILITAN and Lim Ai Gaik, from Marine Park, NRE. The rest were from goverment agencies whom a few I'd met in the past.

I met someone new today - Tan Sri Dato' Dr. Ahmad Mustafa Babjee, an environmentalist and a well known figure in the country. I had a chance talking to him, knowing some of his past which I think, really think great to know who the 'man' was! As a junior lecturer at UMT (formerly known as KUSTEM, formerly known a UCT and formerly known as UPM (Terengganu) and was previously a Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, I am so glad meeting him as he was (one of?) 'The Founder'! I don't know how many of us - young generation of UMT ( and the other names of it..) has a chance to know and meeting him and I am sure not many people know him here but I glad and I thank him for his vision to set up the faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science on the Terengganu soil.. Tan Sri Dato' was the person who is responsible to bring and encouraging the late Prof. Dr. Mohsin, Prof. Dr. Ang Kok Jii, Capt. Ibrahim to be apart of the giant at what is today known as University Malaysia Terengganu.

I can't wait to meet those people again and I hope it will happen soon..