[ Pekan Review ] Bridging Universiti Malaysia Pahang to the World Community ASPIRING to be the fIRSt choIce, woRld clASS ANd bRANded uNIveRSIty uNIveRSItI MAlAySIA PAhANG 1 [ Pekan Review ] Bridging Universiti Malaysia Pahang to the World Community 2 uNIveRSItI MAlAySIA PAhANG ASPIRING to be the fIRSt choIce, woRld clASS ANd bRANded uNIveRSIty [ Pekan Review ] Bridging Universiti Malaysia Pahang to the World Community 10 12 16 Sultan of Pahang conferred Honorary Doctorate in UMP launches book in appreciation of Sultan of 15000 throng National Higher Education Carnival Civil Engineering Pahang: The Ruler, The Builder, The Engineer at UMP 05 From the Editor’s 34 Another milestone 48 UMP welcomes Desk for UMP’s IT 1st batch of development undergraduates from UMP Chairman: Tall China 06 UMP seals MOU order, but achievable 35 with Pasdec, Hicom International Night: to cooperate on 50 Vice-Chancellor’s A presentation of 14 academic, research, Voice cultural & traditional human capital development event 18 UMP publishes book on indigenous Semai 36 UMP, LKPP 51 UMP students shine tribe Corp venture into in Perodua Eco- palm frond-based Challenge 22 UMP VC appointed biotechnology Guest Professor to CENFED spearheads China’s University UMP, Lubri-Loy to 52 37 Professional Hebei jointly produce high- quality lubricant Development Programmes in the UMP researchers bag 24 UMP, Sapura seal East Coast 5 awards at British 38 JV in human capital Invention Show 2009 development 54 New programmes UMP garners 6 more introduced to mould 26 UMP continues to medals at SIIF 2009 to 40 students with futuristic operate Gambang close the year mindset Campus 20 28 UMP bags MTE 2009 UMP invents fractured Special Award 42 Cendekia Bitara Award 56 bone stabilizer Perodua contributes RM2.6m worth of robots to 30 UMP research 44 Natural products R&D UMP products won 5 medals gets international 57 Facilities Management at BioMalaysia 2009 recognition in Campus Promotes Intellectual and Social UMP seals cooperation 200 intellectuals 32 46 Activities with 6 universities in converge on ‘Human [contents] Egypt, Ireland Capital Development’ ASPIRING to be the fIRSt choIce, woRld clASS ANd bRANded uNIveRSIty uNIveRSItI MAlAySIA PAhANG 3 [ Pekan Review ] Bridging Universiti Malaysia Pahang to the World Community editorial team Patron Writers Photographer Professor Dato’ Dr. Daing Nasir Ibrahim Safriza Baharuddin Khairu Aidilnishah Rizan Jalil Nadzariah Mohamed Editor in Chief Raihana Sulaiman Distributions Abd Rahman Hj Safie Mimi Rabita Abd Wahit Hafizatulazlin Abdul Aziz Ahmad Mahdi Sulaiman Editor Artist/Designer Mohd Rashdan Jamaludin Azman Md Diah All rights reserved. No part of this publication maybe used or reproduced in any form or by any means, including but not limited to electronic or mechanical photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system or otherwise, without prior agreement and written permission from the publisher. The views of opinions contained in this publication do not necessarily reflect the policy and standpoint of Universiti Malaysia Pahang. Universiti Malaysia Pahang will not be liable or responsible towards any losses experienced by any parties on performance or non-performance based on information in this publication. The unique combination of images, colors, sizes, typography, and positioning (“The Design”) of this magazine is copyright and may not reproduced. For further enquiries or contributions of articles and news, please forward to: Editor Publication and Graphics Unit Vice-Chancellor’s Office, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Lebuhraya Tun Razak 26300 Gambang Kuantan Pahang Darul Makmur Tel. : 09-549 3184/ 3193 Fax : 09-549 3199 e-Mail : [email protected] 4 uNIveRSItI MAlAySIA PAhANG ASPIRING to be the fIRSt choIce, woRld clASS ANd bRANded uNIveRSIty [ Pekan Review ] Bridging Universiti Malaysia Pahang to the World Community From the editor’s desk Warm GReetINGS to ouR “PeKAN RevIew” ReAdeRS. Finally, Pekan Review makes its debut! British Invention Show in London, UK; and Seoul International Invention Fair in South Korea. The awards won just goes to The editorial team trusts our readers will find this magazine has show that our research products are among the best, and have been worth the wait. Illustrating another triumph in realizing been accredited internationally. the university’s aspiration to Create an English medium to communicate Universiti Malaysia Pahang’s bountiful successes to the rest of the world. 2009 was also a testament to the excellent rapport UMP has established with local and international industries. The RM2.6 Get quickly acquainted with this half-yearly magazine because million worth of contribution of robots from Perodua Sdn. Bhd. there’s more to come! was seen as the dawning of a new era in the university-industry relationship and the industry-driven tertiary education system. Contrary to Create, this new publication is more multinational in characteristic, striving to bridge the hiatus between UMP and May 2010 be a more promising year for Pekan Review local and international industries. In fact, by the same token, in spreading its wings beyond our national borders and in Innovation will be our stepping stone to promote and trademark commissioning a strong foundation to fortify the name and UMP to the world as the “University of Choice”. image of UMP. In this introductory issue, Pekan Review is here to exhibit the many international accomplishments our esteemed university coveted last year – two of which were achieved through the Abd Rahman Haji Safie ASPIRING to be the fIRSt choIce, woRld clASS ANd bRANded uNIveRSIty uNIveRSItI MAlAySIA PAhANG 5 [ Pekan Review ] Bridging Universiti Malaysia Pahang to the World Community vIce-chANcelloR’S voIce Professor Dato’ Dr Daing Nasir Ibrahim 6 uNIveRSItI MAlAySIA PAhANG ASPIRING to be the fIRSt choIce, woRld clASS ANd bRANded uNIveRSIty [ Pekan Review ] Bridging Universiti Malaysia Pahang to the World Community vIce-chANcelloR’S Pekan Review rolls out! And there’s no stopping its advance! voIce Assalamualaikum and a very good day to all, at last year’s Vice-Chancellor Commissioning Address. Foremost, is our humblest gratitude to the Almighty, The keyword then, and here, is “transformation”. for the successful publication of the first issue of Pekan “Transformation” is the vehicle to elevate UMP to Review. a distinguished standing of unrivalled excellence. Transformation is seen not only in our publications, but is Secondly, a big round of applause for a job well done to also evident in the management and administration of the the Editorial Team – who labored for months to realize the university. These transforming initiatives must continue. dreams of Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) to publish an English conduit to communicate our aspirations to A fine paradigm in the engendering of UMP’s the world. It is our hope that Pekan Review will be the transformation agenda is the recognition of the catalyst to foster a stronger bond with our international contributions made in promoting the good name of the communities. university to the world. This prominent acknowledgment – known as the Cendekia Bitara Award – is hoped In this debut issue, I believe it is only befitting that we to inspire our researchers and staff to maximize and pay tribute to the accomplishments documented by our optimize their unexplored potentials. revered university in the last eight years. The pinnacle of last year’s transformation was the 4th Historically, UMP was founded as the state campus of & Commemorative Convocation in October, when the University of Technology Malaysia in Pahang. Gradually, university inaugurated the conferment of an honorary UMP grounded a firmer foothold in the academia, and degree – Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering was subsequently declared the country’s 16th Public – to His Royal Highness, The Sultan of Pahang, in a Institution of Higher Learning on February 16, 2001; prestigious ceremony. and renamed Kolej Universiti Kejuruteraan & Teknologi Malaysia (KUKTEM). Five years on, the Government That was last year. This year demands us to be more acknowledged the pivotal roles UMP played, and resilient and simultaneously productive, to meet the endorsed its conversion into a full-fledge university in many challenges of the day. The biggest one at hand is 2006, with the current name. to effectively discharge our 2008-2010 Strategic Plans. The transformation ideas outlined last year should be our With the birth of Pekan Review, the flourishing evolution guiding light to achieve a triumphant implementation of of our university can now be inscribed in English – a the strategic planning. commendable transformation in the capacity of our university publications. This transformation – of having My parting words as I pen off, “Let us transform”. only a single vernacular magazine (Create in Malay) into a dual language one – is not only a step in the right I wish you all a happy reading, and look forward to the direction, but an actual materialization of the idea kindled next issue of Pekan Review. ASPIRING to be the fIRSt choIce, woRld clASS ANd bRANded uNIveRSIty uNIveRSItI MAlAySIA PAhANG 7 [ Pekan Review ] Bridging Universiti Malaysia Pahang to the World Community uMP chAIRMAN: Tall oRdeR, but AchIevAble Universiti Malaysia Pahang has all it takes “to become world class competency-based technical university” By: Mohd R Jamaludin It may be a tall order, but definitely choice” for tertiary education in the East Coast of achievable,” remarked Dato’ Mohd Hilmey the Peninsular,” said Dato’ Mohd Hilmey, as he Mohd Taib, the Chairman of the Board of unwind with a group of three interviewers, sipping “Directors (BoD) of Universiti Malaysia Pahang cups of tea at a homestay village not far from (UMP), in a recent exclusive personal interview the country’s world renowned highland resort, with the Publication & Graphics Unit of the Genting Highlands. university’s Vice-Chancellor’s Office. “The subsequent target is an obvious one – we The Chairman’s statement of confidence was in need to be on par with the long-established public reference to UMP’s aspiration to be a world class institutions of higher learning in the country.