Academician Tan Sri Dr Ahmad Mustaffa Babjee FASc

Academician Tan Sri Dr Ahmad Mustaffa Babjee FASc was dubbed nation’s ‘green warrior’. A believer in life-long learning, at the age of 69, he earned his seventh degree, Masters of Science in Environment Biology from Universiti Sains Malaysia. His other credentials included PhD in virology from the University of Queensland, Australia, and three honorary doctorates from University of Queensland, Universiti Putra Malaysia and Universiti Malaysia Terengganu.

Tan Sri Mustaffa has contributed immensely to science even during his postgraduate studies. He was the first scientist to successfully isolated and characterise the first Australian poultry Reovirus, turkey Herpesvirus and Adenovirus in the country. These findings were published in the high-index journal and have been quoted in American Textbooks on Avian and Poultry Diseases.

During his years as the Director-General of Veterinary Services, he established an Animal Biotechnology Research Institute in Jerantut, Pahang in 1988 to carry out research on embryo transfer, splitting and cloning. This institute is the first in Malaysia to fully dedicated to Biotechnology research and have facilities with accommodation of foreign collaborators.

At the national level, Tan Sri Mustaffa has been actively involved with the Ministry of Local Government and Environment, Ministry of Education, MARDI and Ministry of Science. His excellent leadership skills were not only known locally. In 1994, he was the first Asian President to be appointed for the World Organization for Animal Health and Chairman for several ASEAN Committees for Animal Production, Livestock and Food Handling.

Tan Sri Mustaffa was a Foundation Fellow of ASM. He had chaired several ASM Committees such as ASM Committee on Biodiversity 2010, ASM Committee on Biodiversity and Environment 2011, Chairman Mega Science Framework Study 2011. As chairman of the Biodiversity committee, he had produced a directory of biodiversity experts in Malaysia through his extensive network of experts. He also involved in the Mahathir Science Award, ASM publications and international committees.

As a talented writer, producer, director and photographer, he had published many Biodiversity books, over 75 journal or proceedings articles, over 120 articles with photographic illustrations on nature and environment, and several documentaries screened in some schools.