Contents - Akademi Sains Malaysia

Emeritus Prof Augustine S.H.Ong — bestowed Malaysia'sprestigious 2013 MerdekaAward for Health, Science andTechnologyScientist in ProfileEmeritus Prof Augustine Ong Soon Hock was born in 1934, in Malacca and was raised by hispaternal grandmother in a small rubber plantation in Malacca, following the death of his fatherwhen he was seven years old. Academically inclined since his early years in school, his academicpursuit began when he decided to challenge himself with chemistry, physics and mathematicsduring his secondary residential education at St Francis Institution in Malacca.Excelling in school, he was accepted for pre-university education at the St Johns Institution inKuala Lumpur. He attended University of Malaya between 1954 and 1959 and graduated with aBachelor of Science (First Class Honors), and subsequently an MSc. His passion for chemistryshowed in his excellent academic achievements, where he was awarded a Gold Medal forchemistry. “It is a way for me to understand nature,” he says. “Chemistry is a powerful disciplineto explain nature”, he opioned.Dr Augustine Ong began his career as a lecturer with University of Malaya in 1959. He was aFulbright-Hays Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology USA from 1966 to 1967 andprior to this he read for a PhD in Organic Chemistry at the University of London King’s College,1961–1963.In 1970, he was appointed as a senior lecturer at the University of Science Malaysia, and was promoted to the positionof Professor of Physical Organic Chemistry in 1974. Seeking to expand his knowledge, Dr Augustine took a one-yearsabbatical leave to attend the University of Oxford as Visiting Professor at the Dyson Perrins Laboratory in 1976. On hisreturn to USM, he was appointed Dean of the School of Chemical Sciences at USM from 1977 to 1981. From 1981 to 1985and 1990 to 1991, he was appointed Visiting Professor at the same university.Between 1959 and 2011, Tan Sri Ong authored or co-authored 400 articles. “All these articles arose from ideas,” he says.“My strategy has been concentrated on the world of ideas. Ideas are top priority in getting new findings and inventions.”Together with his colleagues, Prof Ong also co-authored two books. His first book with SH Goh and Rayson L Huang,The Chemistry of Free Radicals was published in 1974. The book has been used by the University of Oxford as a resourcematerial. His significant research findings include the conformation of free radicals and SH2 cleavage of t-butyl peroxide.Along with his colleague, Prof Etsuo Niki, he co-authored a book on free radicals and antioxidants entitled Nutrition,Lipids, Health and Disease in 1995.Prof Ong obtained his first patent from Britain in 1974 on lipids research of olein-stearin separation method. He lateradded 15 more patents to his name in palm oil research. These patents are from the US, the UK, Japan, Australia andMalaysia. His research on palm oil covered several aspects of palm oil; from its chemical composition, nutritional value,technical training and to its waste treatment. He was also a co-researcher in the isolation of tocotrienols from palm fattyacid distillate. Tocotrienols, an anti-oxidant, has beneficial effects on brain neurons, is loaded with anti-cancer properties,and lowers the levels of bad cholesterol. His research inspired other scientists in other parts of the world to conduct similarresearch on palm oil.The conversion of palm oil to biodiesel was conceptualised by Prof Ong in 1981. The project began with a pilotplant study, went on to field trials and subsequently proceeded to mass production for commercialisation in Malaysia,Thailand and South Korea. Today, Malaysia is one of the world’s leading biofuel producers, with 58 plants approved forproduction.79