PETALING JAYA: Two Malaysians who are experts in their respective fields have been selected as fellows of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS).

       A medical radiologist from Universiti Malaya, Prof Dr Ng Kwan Hoong, as well as Prof Datuk Dr Wan Ramli Wan Daud, an expert in chemical engineering from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, were notified of the good news on Monday (Nov 8) by a letter from Italy-based TWAS.

       Billed as the voice of science in the South, TWAS was set up for the advancement of science in developing countries and supports sustainable prosperity through research, education, policy, and diplomacy.

       TWAS was founded in 1983 by a group of distinguished scientists from the developing world under the leadership of Prof Mohammad Abdus Salam, the Pakistani physicist and Nobel laureate, with the group united in the belief that developing nations can collectively address challenges such as hunger, disease and poverty by building upon strength in science and engineering.

       The appointments of Ng and Wan Ramli, which takes effect Jan 1, 2022, were decided by TWAS earlier this month.

       Wan Ramli is renowned for his work in sustainable hydrogen fuel cell technology and has won the Merdeka Award in 2016, other than being recognised last year as an outstanding academician who champions the use of the Malay language in science.

       Ng won the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Award in 2018 for his work in medical physics, with the award given by the International Organisation for Medical Physics.

       In December, Ng was among the four recipients honoured with the Merdeka Award for their contribution towards a more sustainable Malaysia.

       Ng was conferred the Outstanding Scholastic Achievement award for his educational and pioneering work towards advancing the fields of medical physics and radiation medicine in Malaysia.