07/07/2011 (Bernama) – Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, Minister of Plantation Industries & Commodities, presented the fourth Palm Oil Industry Leadership Award (PILA) to Tan Sri Datuk Dr Augustine Ong Soon Hock, former Director General of PORIM (now known as MPOB), at the annual Malaysian Palm Oil Council’s Leadership Dinner held in Kuala Lumpur on 5 July, 2011.

Tan Sri Datuk Dr Augustine Ong Soon Hock is regarded as a distinguished chemist and world expert in the science of palm oil.

He has been active in research and development for more than 45 years, of which 25 years were involved in the chemistry and technology of palm oil. He has 14 patents on palm oil and has published more than 380 articles.

As the former Director General of Palm Oil Research Institute of Malaysia (PORIM), now known as Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), he played a significant role in the programme to counter the anti palm oil campaign. His contributions to the industry continued after PORIM, as Director of Science & Technology, MPOPC (now MPOC) from 1990 to 1996. Today, he serves as the Founder President of the Malaysian Oil Scientists and Technologists Association (MOSTA) and Malaysian Invention and Design Society (MINDS), among his many active interests.

He is recognised both nationally and internationally in the field of Lipid Chemistry, being elected as the Chairman of the International Society of Fat Research (ISF) in 1997; Senior Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia; Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry London and Fellow of the Third World Academy of Science. In March 2011, he was awarded the fellowship of King’s College, London in recognition of his lifetime’s work in science.

With his extensive networking in the oils and fats industry as well as in the academic world both locally and overseas, he continues with his work to promote palm oil and its many positive attributes.

Another award, Lifetime Award for Excellent Services in the Palm Oil Industry was also conferred at the event. The award is intended to recognise and pay tribute to individuals who have rendered a lifetime of service to the Malaysian palm oil industry. The recipient of the 2011 Lifetime Award for Excellent Services in the Palm Oil Industry is Professor Dr KC Hayes.

Dr Hayes is the author and co-author of more than 200 reports, 24 chapters and 188 abstracts primarily focusing on fats and oils relating to heart disease and diabetes. He obtained his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University and PhD in Nutritional Pathology from University of Connecticut. Following this he was a member of the nutrition faculty at Harvard School of Public Health before joining Brandeis University as Director of the Foster Biomedical Research Laboratory and Animal Resources.

Dr Hayes is a longstanding member of the American Society for Nutrition, including recently being elected a Fellow, and has served on a number of advisory boards for nutrition, including National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and several companies over the years. He is co-inventor of 14 patents, and several discoveries from his research laboratory currently have marketplace applications. For example, the identification of a taurine requirement for cats and infant primates have led to taurine inclusion in all cat foods and human infant formulas.

The PILA award, a brainchild of MPOC, is an important recognition for Malaysian palm oil industry leaders who have impacted the industry in the current or past years in such an outstanding way, either through their innovative thinking, policy changes, corporate governance or leadership qualities that have resulted in immeasurable benefits to the palm oil industry or created substantial opportunities in new developments and markets for Malaysian palm oil. This award also encourages the younger generation to become future leaders of the palm oil industry, thus ensuring the industry will continuously improve and be able to address future challenges confidently.

The first PILA award was given out in 2008 to Tun Dr Lim Keng Yaik, who was recognised for his untiring efforts in overcoming the ‘anti-tropical oil’ campaigns during his tenure as the Minister of Primary Industries. In 2009, the award was handed out to Raja Tan Sri Muhammad Alias, who is among the pioneers of the Malaysian oil palm industry, in particular FELDA. He has been indeed the driving force behind the success of FELDA today.

In 2010, the PILA award was presented to Dato’ Sri Peter Chin Fah Kui, the former Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities. Through his leadership, he contributed towards ensuring a healthy growth of the milling, refining and oleochemical sectors, and the development of value added downstream products during his tenure as the Minister.

The Lifetime Award for Excellent Services in the Palm Oil Industry was introduced in 2010 and was given to KG Berger, who has contributed significantly to the establishment of PORIM, where he was involved in the drafting of research programmes with the technical committee of the industry and the preliminary chemical research conducted by relevant authorities.