Curriculum Vitae
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Curriculum Vitae Name: Saw Leng Guan, FASc Born: 14 December 1955, Taiping, Perak, MALAYSIA Sex: Male Nationality: Malaysian Home Address: 19 Jalan Tekoma KS6 Bandar Botanic 41200 Klang Selangor Malaysia Tel.: +603-331 82467 Mobile: +6019-274 5512 e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] Office Address: Penang Botanic Gardens Pavilion Administration Complex Jalan Kebun Bunga 10350 Penang Malaysia Tel: +6019-2745512 Email: [email protected] Academic Qualifications a. Bachelor of Science (Forestry), Agriculture University of Malaysia (UPM), 1981 b. Master of Science (Pure and Applied Plant and Fungal Taxonomy), University of Reading, 1990 c. Doctor of Philosophy, University of Reading, 1994 Thesis 1. Saw L.G. (1981). Progress of crop: Composition, density and growth patterns of Rhizophora dominated stands before first thinning in Matang Mangroves Forest Reserve, Perak. Final year thesis. U.P.M. 2. Saw L.G. (1990). A revision of the genus Licuala (Palmae) subgenus Libericula. M.Sc. thesis. University of Reading. 3. Saw L.G. (1994). The taxonomy and ecology of the genus Licuala (Palmae) in Malaya. Ph.D. thesis, University of Reading. Awards and Conferment National and International Awards, and Conferment 1. Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh (RBGE) Medal – 2016. 2. Conferred as Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, 2013. 3. National Book Award 2012 – Technical Book – Wild Orchids of Peninsular Malaysia. 4. British High Commission’s Chevening Scholarships Scheme: Royal Society – Malaysian Fellowship, 1999/2000 (15 January 2000 – 15 June 2000) Schools attended a. Anglo Chinese (Primary) School, Malacca 1962–1967 Page 1 of 19 b. Anglo Chinese (Secondary) School, Malacca 1968 c. High School, Klang 1968–1975 Previous Employment a. Audit clerk with Price Waterhouse & Co. 1976–1977 b. Teaching in a secondary school 1981 c. Forest Research Institute Malaysia June 1981-December 2015 (retired as Director of the Forest Biodiversity Division) d. Forest Research Institute Malaysia 1 February 2016 – 31 March 2017 (Research Fellow) Present Employment Penang Botanic Gardens 2 April 2017 till present (Curator) History of Employment at the Forest Research Institute Malaysia a. 11 June 1982 Hill Forest Silviculturist b. 1 March 1985 Forest Botanist c. 1 September 1990 Promoted to Senior Research Officer, Scale Q2 d. 1 September 2001 Promoted to Senior Research Officer, Scale Q1 e. 4 October 2002 Deputy Director, Forest Environment Division f. 1 August 2004 Programme Director, Tropical Forest Biodiversity Centre g. 1 September 2007 Promoted to Principal Research Officer, Senior Director, Scale VU7 h. 1 January 2009 till 14 December 2015 at retirement Division Director, Forest Biodiversity Division Research Project Involvement 1. Tree Flora of Malaya Project – contributor to the revision of families, 1985–1989. 2. The conservation of economically important, and rare, threatened or endangered forest plants in Peninsular Malaysia – project leader, 1996–1999. 3. To determine the optimum size of Virgin Jungle Reserves to enhance the conservation of flora and their attended management prescriptions for each of the ecological forest types – project leader, 1998-2002. 4. Krau Game Reserve, a totally protected forest in Peninsular Malaysia for the conservation of higher plants – project collaborator, 1999-2004. 5. Coordinator to: Plant Diversity Centre with 14 projects in the Centre. Project leader to two of the projects in the programme. Page 2 of 19 6. South East Asian Botanical Collections Information Network (SEABCIN), funded by European Commission, joint project with National Herbarium Netherlands, University of Oxford, Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Forest Department Sabah, Forest Department Sarawak, Philippine National Herbarium, Forest Herbarium Bangkok and Herbarium Bogoriense. 7. FRIM-GEF project on the Conservation of Biological Diversity through Improved Forest Planning Procedures. GEF funded project. 8. Population and conservation biology of selected threatened Malesian ornamental species with special emphasis on Johannesteijsmannia (Palmae), joint project funded by ARCBC Research Funds, with National University of Singapore, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and FRIM. My input here is as co-supervisor to a student that will conduct this study. 9. Tree Flora of Sabah and Sarawak Project – initiated the project and currently editor and contributor to revision of families, 1991 till present. 10. Flora of Peninsular Malaysia Project – project initiated in 2005 to revise the about 8,300 species of vascular plants in Peninsular Malaysia. 11. Conservation of Rare and Threatened Plants of Peninsular Malaysia – project initiated in 2005 to develop conservation tools and conserve rare and threatened plants of Peninsular Malaysia. 12. Planning and Development for a Natural History Museum (NHM) in Malaysia, a project to develop a NHM for Malaysia (2007-2009). 13. Documentation of the Flora of Malaysia – project started in 2010 as a follow-up project for the Flora of Peninsular Malaysia and the Tree Flora of Sabah and Sarawak projects. Experiences 1. As an undergraduate, I have completed 24 weeks of practical training in different aspects of forestry activities. 2. Assisted in the Lanjak-Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary Expedition in Sarawak, Malaysia in 1981. The expedition was organised and sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund, Malaysia. 3. Participated in the Endau-Rompin Expedition in Johor in 1986–1987. The expedition was organised by the Malayan Nature Society. 4. Participated in the Maliau Basin Expedition, Sabah as botanist/ecologist between 26 April and 6 May 1988. The expedition was organised by the Sabah Foundation and the World Wildlife Fund, Malaysia. 5. Participated in the Pulau Redang Expedition, Terengganu between 2 and 10 February 1989. The expedition was organised by the Malayan Nature Society. 6. Participated in the Belum Expedition, Perak in 1993–1994. 7. Organised numerous collecting expeditions in Malaysia in the course of my work in the Botany Section in FRIM. 8. Between 1985 and 1990, I managed the FRIM Research Station at Pasoh Forest Reserve, Negeri Sembilan. 9. Conducted taxonomic and botanical work in FRIM. I am also in charge of the herbarium as Curator. 10. The Arboretum and the development of the Kepong Botanic Gardens are also under my charge. 11. Planning and development of Kepong Botanic Gardens. 12. Liaison officer for the Tree Flora of Sabah and Sarawak in Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, U.K. and the Rijksherbarium, Leiden, the Netherlands from 23 March to 3 May 1997. 13. Organised the Fourth International Flora Malesiana Symposium in Holiday Villa Subang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 20–24 July 1998. 14. Organised the Conference of Forestry and Forest Products Research (CFFPR) 2015. Main Research Interests 1. Palm taxonomy and ecology 2. Taxonomic revision of Malaysian plants (in particular, tree families) 3. Ecology of Malaysian forests including plant geography 4. Conservation of Malaysian flora and ecosystems Page 3 of 19 Language Skills 1. Chinese; speak conversational Hokkien dialect fairly well. 2. English; written and spoken both well. 3. Bahasa Malaysia; written and spoken both fair. Society membership 1. Malaysian Nature Society – Council member (1997-1998) 2. FRIM sports club – Ordinary member till 2015 3. Church of Shekinah Glory – Secretary (since August 2001, Treasurer 2000 until August 2001) 4. Klang Club – Ordinary member 5. International Palm Society – Ordinary member 6. Harvest Christian Assembly – Board member (2012-2018) – Vice chairman (2016-2018) 7. Malaysian Scientific Association – Vice President (May 2014-May 2016) – Board member (May 2016-April 2017) National Committees and International Involvement International 1. Member to the BRAHMS (Botanical Research and Herbarium Management System) Advisory Group, since 2001, a database management system for the curation of herbarium specimens and research 2. Member to the International Advisory Committee to the Fifth International Flora Malesiana Symposium, Sydney, Australia, 9–15 September 2001 3. Board member of the International Flora Malesiana Foundation, since September 2004 4. Appointed as a member of Science Audit to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, U.K., June 2006 5. Editorial board member of the Kew Bulletin, since January 2007. 6. Editorial board member of the Journal of Tropical Ecology, since April 2007. 7. Editorial board member of Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agriculture Science, since February 2009. 8. Editorial board member of Blumea, since June 2010. 9. National Focal Point for the Convention on Biological Diversity for Global Taxonomy Initiative (GTI), Clearing House Mechanism (CHM) and the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), 2010– 2015 10. Member of the Global Partnership for Plant Conservation, 2011–2015 11. Member of Global Taxonomy Initiative Coordination Mechanism – June 2011–2015 National 1. Member of the National Technical Biological Diversity Committee 2. Member of the Sungai Buloh Botanic Gardens Committee, 1994 3. Member of the National Technical Committee of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) 4. Represented Malaysia in the Standing Committee for CITES on the Working Group on Timber 5. Party of the Malaysian delegation to the Sixth Conference of Parties, Convention for Biological Diversity, 2002, The Hague, Netherlands 6. Malaysian scientific expert to Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) of the Convention on Biological