Born in Negeri Sembilan, Salleh studied forestry the University of Adelaide. He started his professional career undertaking forest resources inventory spending months in field work in the forest. He then studied Forest Photo-Interpretation at the International Institute for Aerial Survey and Earth Sciences (ITC) in Delft, the Netherlands and later for his M.Sc and Ph.D at Michigan State University which he completed in four years. Salleh was the Inaugural Director General of the Forest Research Institute of Malaysian (FRIM) that became the top tropical forest research in the world. Among others, Salleh initiated research into the utilisation of rubber wood, which has since become an international success as an accepted and respected product worldwide. Salleh was involved with numerous local and international organisations including the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), the first person from outside Europe and America in 100 years history of IUFRO to be elected President. Salleh was also instrumental in Malaysia becoming a member of the Antarctica Treaty and has been to Antarctica four times and the Arctic once. Salleh was President of Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) for 30 years. Amongst his many achievements were the formation of the Endau Rompin National Park in Johore and Royal Belum State Park in Perak. Salleh is currently the Pro-Chancellor of University Technology Malaysia where he headed the UTM Everest project that saw two UTM students reached the peak of Everest in 2016. Salleh is also the oldest Malaysian to set foot on Everest Base camp at the age of 72 which was recorded in the Malaysia Book of Records. Salleh has published thirteen books and numerous articles and continues his passion in writing. March 2021