WANITA PERINTIS MALAYSIA DALAM DUNIA SAINS

Berakhirnya Perang Dunia Pertama menandakan bermulanya inspirasi rakyat Malaysia (dulunya Malaya) untuk memulakan hidup baru, didorong oleh semangat dan kepercayaan, serta kesedaran bahawa mereka mampu membawa pembangunan dan kemajuan kepada negara. Wadah yang paling berkesan untuk mencapai inspirasinya ialah melalui pendidikan tinggi untuk anak mereka, baik lelaki mahupun perempuan.

·        Doktor perubatan Wanita pertama,Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Salma bt Ismail, dilahirkan di Alor Setar, Kedah pada 19 Disember 1918. Beliau bersekolah rendah  di Kampung Baru Girls School, Alor Setar.

·        Y.A.B Datin Seri Dr. Siti Hasmah dilahirkan pada 12 Julai 1926 di Kampung Jawa, Klang, Selangor. Beliau telah berjaya meneruskan pelajaran di King Edward VII College of Medicine, yang kemudian dikenali sebagai Fakulti Perubatan, Universiti Malaya di Singapura, pada tahun 1949. Ini menjadikan Siti Hasmah, wanita melayu yang kedua memasuki bidang perubatan.

·        Wanita pertama mendapat PhD dalam bidang Arkitek, Dr Asiah Abdul Rahim (ijazah pertama dari UTM dan PhD dari Oxford Brookes University) pernah bertugas sebagai pensyarah ah di UiTM

·        Ahli arkeologi wanita pertama ialah Dato’ Prof Zuraina bt Majid, Pengarah Pusat Penyelidikan Arkeologi Malaysia. Beliau mendapat PhD dari Yale Universiti, Amerika Syarikat dalam bidang antropologi. Beliau telah menjalankan beberapa kaji selidik ke atas tapak carigali barang-barang purba. Selain dari bidang pengkajian, juga merupakan seorang penulis pra-sejarah yg telah menghasilkan beberapa buku seperti “The West Mouth Niah, In the Prehistory of South East Asia” 1982 

·        Saintis perintis wanita, Dr. Goh Lai Yoong adalah bekas pensyarah di  Jabatan Kimia, Fakulti  Sains, Universiti Malaya. Dr. Goh mendapat Ijazah Sarjana Muda Sains (Kepujian) dari University of Hongkong, melanjutkan pengajian dalam Sarjana Sains di Universiti Malaya dan mendapat PhD dari University of London dalam bidang Organometallic chemistry. Beliau telah bersara pada tahun 1955 dan kini berkhidmat sebagai Fellow Kanan di  National University of Singapore.

MALAYSIAN WOMEN PIONEERS IN SCIENCE

The end of World War II marked the beginning of Malaysians’ (then Malayans) inspiration to start a new life, inspired by their will and belief, and realisation that they are capable of pursuing progress and development for the country.  The best means of achieving their dream was through higher education for their offspring, both boys and girls.  

·        First Woman Medical Doctor, Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Salma bt Ismail, was born in Alor Setar, Kedah on 19 December 1918. She started her schooling at Kampung Baru Girls School, Alor Setar.

·        The Honourable Datin Seri Dr. Siti Hasmah was born on 12 July 1926 at Kampung Jawa, Klang, Selangor. In 1949, Datin Seri Dr. Siti Hasmah continued her study at King Edward VII College of Medicine, later known as Medical Faculty of Malaya University in Singapore.  She is the second Malay woman to enter the field of medicine. 

·        First woman to receive PhD in architecture, Dr Asiah Abdul Rahim (first degree from UTM and PhD from Oxford Brookes University) was once a lecturer at UiTM.

·        First Woman Archaeologist, Dato’ Prof Zuraina bt Majid, is the Director of Malaysian Archaeology Research Centre. She received her PhD in anthropology from Yale University, USA.  She carried out researches at a few excavation sites. Apart from doing reseach, she also wrote a few books such as “The West Mouth Niah, In the Prehistory of South East Asia” 1982. 

·        Pioneer woman scientist is Dr. Goh Lai Yoong, former lecturer of the Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Universiti of Malaya. Goh Lai Yoong attained her degree from Hongkong University before pursuing her study at Universiti of Malaya.  She received her PhD from University of London in Organometallic Chemistry.  She retired in 1995 and is presently a Senior Fellow at the National University Of Singapore.