KUALA LUMPUR: An architect and two medical researchers have been selected to receive the prestigious Merdeka Awards this year.
Datuk Dr Kenneth Yeang was selected to receive the award in the Environment Category for his outstanding contribution to the development of design methods for ecological design and environmental planning.
The two other recipients, Prof Datuk Dr Goh Khean Lee and Prof Dr Mak Joon Wah, jointly received the awards for Outstanding Scholastic Achievement.
They will receive their awards from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Oct 10.
Petronas president and chief executive officer Datuk Shamsul Azhar Abbas, who is the chairman of the Merdeka Award board of trustees, said the three were selected for their outstanding and lasting contributions to the nation and the people in their respective fields.
Recipients of each category will receive a trophy, certificate and RM500,000.
Shamsul Azhar also added that there would be no awards in the categories of Education & Community, Health, Science & Technology and Outstanding Contribution to the People of Malaysia.
Dr Yeang, who pioneered the application of ecological principles to skyscrapers for more than three decades, has received many awards for his landmark buildings including the Spire Edge Tower in Delhi, India, the National Library in Singapore as well as the DiGi Technical Operation Centre in Subang Jaya.
Dr Goh, who is a specialist in internal medicine at University Malaya, has the highest number of publications in the biomedical field in Malaysia.
Dr Mak was selected for outstanding fundamental and applied research in parasitology and parasitic diseases, public health and pathology.
He is currently Dean of the Postgraduate Studies Department at the International Medical University and a globally recognised expert in filariasis and malaria.