EXCO
Academician Tan Sri Emeritus Prof. Datuk Dr. Augustine S.H. Ong
President
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Academician Tan Sri Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Augustine S H Ong
Academician Tan Sri Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr. Augustine S.H.Ong is a graduate of University of Malaya (B.SC. Hons First Class, M.Sc) and University of London King’s College (Ph.D in Organic Chemistry). Fulbright-Hays Fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Former Director-General, The Palm Oil Research Institute of Malaysia (PORIM) now Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB).
He is the founder President of the Malaysian Invention and Design Society (MINDS) since 1987 and still is the Society’s President. He is recognized both nationally and internationally in the field of lipid Chemistry being elected as the Chairman, International Society for Fat Research (ISF) in 1997. He is the founder President and still is the President of The Malaysian Oil Scientists’ and Technologists’ Association (MOSTA) since 1989 and Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences Association (ATAS) since 2021.
Tan Sri was conferred the Senior Fellow of the Academy of Sciences, Malaysia, Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry London, Fellow of the Third World Academy of Sciences, Tokoh Inovasi Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Emeritus Professor, University Science Malaysia (USM), Palm Oil Industry Leadership (PILA) Award, Hon. Doctor of Science, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Hon. Doctor of Science, The University of Nottingham, Merdeka Award for Health, Science & Technology, Pioneer in Tocotrienol Research from The Oxygen Club of California, Anugerah Tokoh Akademik Negara, Distinguished Science Alumni Award from National University of Singapore, Fellow, King’s College, London and International Federation of Inventors’ Associations (IFIA) Grand Gold Medal & Certificate for Altruistic Promotion of Inventors. He is cited Scientist, Malaysia in Southeast Asian Personalities of Chinese Descent: A Biographical Dictionary. He is listed in the “Science and Technology” Cluster at Malaysia Hall of Fame, World Expo 2025 Osaka.
Mr. Ahmad Ezzat Bin Ismail
Vice President
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Mr. Ahmad Ezzat Bin Ismail
Lifetime member of MINDS from Seberang Perai Chapter, Penang. Former Principal of SMK Damansara Jaya (SMKDJ), Petaling Jaya, Selangor, with 34 years of experience in education. Passionate about mentoring students and educators, fostering creativity and innovation, and encouraging the development of practical solutions that benefit humanity through education, research, and technology.
IR. Prof. Dr. Leong Wai Yie
Honorary Secretary
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IR. Prof. Dr. Leong Wai Yie
Prof. Dr. Leong Wai Yie is a Senior Professor, she received her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and bachelor’s degree (Hons I) in Electrical Engineering from The University of Queensland (UQ), Brisbane, Australia in 2005 and 2000 respectively. She has authored 18 book series that highlight the innovation in Electronics and Biomedical Engineering.
Ms. Christine Ong May Ee
Honorary Treasurer
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Ms. Christine Ong May Ee
Christine is a qualified chartered accountant and a certified internal auditor by profession. She believes that everyone is creative and inventive and every person can apply such qualities in their lives, whether at work or school or home, for a better future.
Prof. Ts. Dr. Lee Chien Sing
Committee Member
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Prof. Ts. Dr. Lee Chien Sing
Prof. Ts. Dr. Lee Chien Sing holds a PhD in Information Technology from Multimedia University, a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Malaya, and a Bachelor (Hons) in Education from Universiti Putra Malaysia. She is a Senior Member of IEEE (2007 – Present), and a Life Member of the Fulbright Alumni Association of Malaysia (FAAM), the Malaysian Invention and Design Society (MINDS) and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
She and her team received numerous national grants, innovation and technology awards, including at the International Invention, Innovation and Technology Exhibition (ITEX), and finalist in the MSC APICTA Awards. With these, Prof. Ts. Dr. Lee served on various government research, development, and accreditation assessment panels, including SIRIM’s TC8 ISC G Workshop (2002, 2007) and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (2008-2009).
She was then awarded a Fulbright Visiting Scholar Fellowship to Lehigh University’ EECS and the Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Interactive Computing from January to June 2009. Subsequently, she was honored to receive the Malaysia’s Ten Outstanding Young Malaysians (Science and Technology category) by JCI Malaysia, also in 2009.
Professionally, she is a Certified Salesforce Administrator and holds the IREB Certified Professional for Requirements Engineering – Foundation Level (CPRE-FL) certification. As a long-serving judge for MINDS’ International Invention, Innovation and Technology Exhibition (ITEX) Malaysia (2010 – Present), she was privileged to serve as an international judge for the Beijing Youth Science Creation Competition (2025).
She continues to serve the executive committees of the IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society (2014 -Present), the IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society (2014 – Present), and the IEEE Systems Council (2025 – Present), assessor for the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (2021-2026) and the Malaysian Board of Technologists, MBOT (2020 – 2026).
Datuk Dr. Choo Yuen May, FASc
Committee Member
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Datuk Dr. Choo Yuen May, FASc
Founding member of MINDS. Lipid Scientist and Inventor. Experienced in R&D and management of palm oil. Board/Council Member of several organisations/associations and Fellow of Academy of Sciences Malaysia.
Dr. Azman Ismail
Committee Member
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Dr. Azman Ismail
Dr. Azman Ismail is an environmentalist, holds a PhD from Universiti Teknologi MARA and has over ten (10) years of experience in NGO management. He has been recognized with King’s Scout Award in 2006 and is a certified scoutmaster. A member of several professional societies, he has contributed to significant research on membrane technology.
Mr. Myocho Kan
Committee Member
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Myocho Kan
Myocho Kan started his journey with MINDS back in 1992. He rose from the rank and file, started as an office assistant, then executive of MINDSMART, Exco of MINDS and in later years, assumed the positions as the Vice President and Chief Judge. An illustrious voluntary contribution in MINDS, Myocho is also the Co-Founder of the Asian Caucus of Invention Associations (ACIA) first established in Hong Kong together with the President of MINDS, Tan Sri Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr. Augustine Ong. He served as an Exco in the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Special Interest Group and was also the instrumental architect, as the ex-officio Editor of the Malaysian blueprint “Agenda on Innovative Malaysia”, commissioned by the Ministry of Higher Education and mandated by the Prime Minister Office.
An inventor and innovator himself, Myocho was recognised as the participant with the highest number of entries and exhibits at MINDEX 1994. In his effort promoting invention and innovation among school children, he conducts workshops at schools to empower both parents and teachers with relevant skills and knowledge pro-bono. Myocho is no stranger in leading Malaysian delegates to international scientific, invention and innovation competitions towards success in China, Taiwan, Geneva, and Hungary. He is also the Advisor of the Indonesian Young Scientists Association, IYSA.
Over three decades, Myocho Kan has played an important role in the world of invention and innovation. A corporate coach, trainer, advisor, and independent director of various agencies and organisations, he advocates and implements innovation strategies in various transformation agendas. He is a much sought after speaker, trainer and advisor for corporate strategies, creative and innovative process and product development, brand and people transformation, as well as sales and marketing strategies. He is also the architect of sound management and operation policies and procedures, successfully leading dozens of organisations toward various international certifications. This earned him the rightful recognition as an ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) Master Integrator, also proven by his long years of advocating professional governance in various government agencies and agendas.
Dr. Ravigadevi Sambanthamurthi FRS, FASc
Committee Member
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Dr. Ravigadevi Sambanthamurthi FRS, FASc
Dr. Ravigadevi Sambanthamurthi is a Research Consultant for the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) and the Founding Director of its Advanced Biotechnology and Breeding Centre. A pioneer in oil palm biotechnology, her groundbreaking achievements include discovering that oil palm fruit is rich in phenolic bioactives, which naturally concentrate in the aqueous waste stream, and developing and patenting the extraction process to recover them. Her extensive research has confirmed their anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, and anti-diabetic properties.
Dr. Ravigadevi also led the MPOB Oil Palm Genome Programme until her retirement in 2015, heading the team that published the first reference sequence of the oil palm genome and identified the Shell gene, the most important genetic determinant of palm oil yield.
She holds the distinction of being the first and only Malaysian elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society. She is also a Fellow of the World Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, where she currently chairs the Biological, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Discipline and co-leads the Mission-Oriented Initiative for Oil Palm.
Her major honours include the Intel Environment Laureate (USA), Knight of the International Order of Merit of Inventors (IFIA), the Rotary Gold Award, and the 2024 MINDS Luminary Award. She is also the recipient of the 2022 MOSTA Tan Sri Emeritus Professor Augustine Ong International Special Award, for Lifetime Achievement in Lipid Science.