Summary: Dr. Kee Khan Kiang (KKK)

	DR. KEE KHAN KIANG (KKK) Contact Details : Applied Agricultural Resources S/B, No. 11, Jalan Teknologi 3/6, Taman Sains Selangor 1, Kota Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. Tel : 603-6151 7924 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 Fax : 603-6151 7081 Email : keekk@aarsb.com.my Personal Web Page : –
Education
1976	B.Sc. (Hons) in Agriculture	Lincoln College, Canterbury, New Zealand
1981	Ph.D.	Lincoln College, Canterbury, New Zealand
Career Outline
1982 (February) – 1986 (June)	Research Officer	Highlands Research Unit
1986 (June)	Research Officer	Applied Agricultural Research Sdn. Bhd.
	Senior Research Officer	Applied Agricultural Research Sdn. Bhd.
2000 – 2006	Principal Research Officer	Applied Agricultural Research Sdn. Bhd.
2006 – 2007	Deputy Head	Applied Agricultural Resources Sdn. Bhd.
2007 (February) – 2011	Director of Research	Applied Agricultural Resources Sdn. Bhd.
2012 – Present	Director of Research, PTAARI	Applied Agricultural Resources Sdn. Bhd.
Job Description
Director of Research, PTAARI. In charge of oil palm advisory and agronomy, with responsibilities in feasibility studies, nutrition/water relations and crop yield potential and yield maximization studies. Was oil palm agronomist at HRU for 5 years.
Key Research Interests
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Discoveries
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Products
Have led or directly involved in the development of the following products:
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Personal Details/Awards/Publications

Summary: Goh Kah Joo (GKJ)

	GOH KAH JOO (GKJ)Contact Details : Advanced Agriecological Research S/B, No. 11, Jalan Teknologi 3/6, Taman Sains Selangor 1, Kota Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. Tel : 603-6151 7924 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 Fax : 603-6151 7081 Email : gohkj@aarsb.com.my Personal Web Page : –
Education
1982	B.Sc. in Agriculture	University Pertanian Malaysia (UPM)
1992	M.Sc. in Biological Computation (Distinction)	University of York, UK
Career Outline
1982 – 1983	Tutor	University Pertanian Malaysia
1983 – 1986	Assistant Agronomist	Taiko Plantations S/B
1986 – 2004	Agronomist, Principal Research Officer and Section Head, Information Management Section	Applied Agricultural Research S/B
2004 – 2006	Agronomist, Principal Research Officer and Section Head, Information Management Section	Advanced Agriecological Research S/B
2006 – 2007	Agronomist, Deputy Head of Advanced Agriecological Research	Advanced Agriecological Research Sdn. Bhd.
2007 – 2011	Agronomist, Deputy Director of Research	Advanced Agriecological Research Sdn. Bhd.
2012 – Present	Director of Research	Advanced Agriecological Research Sdn. Bhd.
Job Description
My main job function is to provide sound agronomic advices on oil palm and cocoa to our Principals and their estates, and our advisory clients’ estates. Towards this end, I design, lead and/or conduct research on cocoa and oil palm agronomy, soil and plant nutrition, nutrient dynamics, soil and water conservation, and 3D model and visualization of oil palm growth and production. I also lead the team in soil survey and feasibility study. As Section Head for Information Management Section, I am responsible for strategic data and information management, development of a decision support system for plantation crop management, statistical and mathematical data analysis, applications of remote sensing, GIS and GPS in plantation management, spatial data analysis and interpretation, and web page development. I was also a consultant to Cenipalma on fertilizer recommendation system of oil palm. My overall mission is to assist the estate management achieves and maintains the site yield potentials at the lowest cost possible through ever better and latest management practices, taking into account the environment and land ecology.
Key Research Interests
My main interests are in soil and plant nutrition of plantation tree crops and its dynamics. I am also interested in the general agronomy and management of plantation tree crops. The research group uses mathematical, statistical and computational methods to understand the spatio-temporal relationships between the various agronomic and management factors affecting soil nutrient supply, plant nutrition, fertilizer use efficiency and fertilizer requirements. Tools such as remote sensing and GIS, and methods such as pattern recognition and artificial intelligience are also employed to investigate the above and develop techniques for large-scale assessments of the plant and management performances. The team has recently embarked on the study of water dynamics and water use efficiency in oil palm ecosystem, and the importance and dynamics of living green manure (and probably organic matter) in plantation tree crop management.
Lately, I have been involved in the measurement of greenhouse gases from forest, sago and oil palm ecosystems to further understand the impact of anthropogenic agricultural activities on the potential global climate change.
I welcome collaborative research in any of the above areas in tropical tree crops.
Discoveries
The traditional interpretation of soil and/or leaf analysis results cannot predict the optimal fertilizer regime for oil palm reliably, and the nutrient budget method to compute the fertilizer requirement of oil palm can lead to nutrient imbalance. Computation based on nutrient dynamics and plant nutrient balance is the key to optimal fertilizer regime for the perennial oil palm.
The CO2 emission from tropical peatland under forest ecosystem can exceed that under five years old oil palm.
Products
Have led or directly involved in the development of the following products:
Fertilizer recommendation system for oil palm (INFERS)
Optimal planting system for Mucuna bracteata under oil palm in different environments
Site yield potential (ASYP) model of oil palm
Benchmark yield classification method for oil palm
Best months and timing of fertilizer application expert system
Expert system to classify soils in Peninsular Malaysia
Oil palm database, AA AeGIS
PDA system for data recording and visualization
Personal Details/Awards/Publications

Summary: Arif Sugandi (AS)

	ARIF SUGANDI (AS) Contact Details : PT Applied Agricultural Resources Indonesia, Kompleks Pertokoan Taman Anggrek, Block D1 Jl Tuanku Tambusai, Pekanbaru 28291, Riau, Indonesia. Tel : +62 761 572148/160 Fax : +62 761 572149 Email : arif_sugandi@aarsb.com.my Personal Web Page : –
Education
1995	B.Sc. (Hons.) in Agriculture	Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia
2005	M.Sc. in Agriculture	University Pertanian Malaysia (UPM)
Career Outline
1996 – 2002	Assistant Research Officer 1	Applied Agricultural Research Sdn. Bhd.
2002 – 2005	Assistant Research Officer 2	Applied Agricultural Research Sdn. Bhd.
2005 – 2008	Research Officer	Applied Agricultural Resources S/B (PT KLK Agriservindo, R&D Dept)
2008 – Present	Director, Senior Research Officer	PT Applied Agricultural Resources Indonesia
Job Description
My main job function is to provide sound agronomic advices on oil palm to our Principals (Boustead Plantations Bhd and Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd) and their estates as well as other advisory clients’ estates in Indonesia. As an oil palm agronomist, my research work emphasizes on soil, soil survey and feasibility studies as well as conducting oil palm agronomy and fertilizer response trials. I have been given responsibility in conducting AAR research trial and carry out GIS/GPS survey and research in Indonesia.
Key Research Interests
My current research interest are: (i) Soil Survey and Land Evaluation Study of Oil Palm Plantation (ii) GIS/GPS (iii) Oil Palm Agronomic Trials, especially fertilizer response trial on mineral and peat soils in Riau (iv) Peat research particularly on micronutrient application, liming and drainage study.
Discoveries
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Products
Have led or directly involved in the development of the following products:
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Personal Details/Awards/Publications

Deceased Staff: Quah Yin Thye

We extend our condolence to the family of the late Mr. Quah Yin Thye who passed away on 8-12-2002.

Quah Yin Thye

(with his teak trees)

3 Feb. 1956 – 8 Dec. 2002

On 8 December, Quah Yin Thye passed away without regaining consciousness for 60 days after being assaulted and robbed in Kluang on 9 October. He was walking back alone to his hotel after having dinner with his colleagues when he was attacked.

Quah as we normally called him was born in Alor Star. He completed his primary and secondary education at Sultan Abdul Hamid Primary School and Sultan Abdul Hamid College respectively. He obtained his Bachelor of Forestry Science from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand in 1979 and a Diploma in Business Administration from the same university in 1980 . Quah started his career in the oil palm industry as an agronomist with Lam Soon Management Services from 1981 to 1988. After a short break in New Zealand , he joined Applied Agricultural Research Sdn. Bhd. (AAR) in 1989 and was a Senior Research Officer with AAR at his untimely demise. In 1997 he was awarded a Master of Science from Universiti Pertanian Malaysia for a comprehensive work done on the growth and flowering of Asystasia gangetica subsp. micranthaculminating in positive control strategies for this noxious weed.

Another of Quah’s major contributions to AAR and the Industry was his work on the use of plastic sheets for mulching immature oil palms (AA+ Mulch tm ). He was still working on refining and extending the use of AA+ Mulch tm before he passed on. Quah was also in charge of the research program on plantation forestry, his original area of specialization. The numerous impressive blocks of teak, mahogany and sentang that he had planted all over Peninsular and East Malaysia will now be memorials of his effort and hard work in this field.

As a colleague, Quah was very conscientious and most pleasant but would accept no nonsense from anybody. As a friend, he was always cheerful and helpful but careful with the company he kept. As a father, his only child, Sarah meant the world to him and the song “Sara” by Starship was his anthem for her. As a husband he was very faithful and endearing to Peggy. Basically Quah was a family man and his family came above everything else.

For a man who was so fit and healthy and in the prime of his life, the manner of Quah’s demise was not only very cruel and tragic, but also unnecessary. His very strong character, both physically and mentally was reflected in the way he fought for his life whilst in the hospital ICU. To Peggy who has shown great strength and courage throughout the agonizing two months that Quah was in a coma, please remain strong. We offer you, Sarah and Quah’s brothers and families our most heartfelt sympathy. We share your great loss as we have also lost a very good field researcher, colleague and most of all a friend who will be missed very dearly. The numerous messages of condolences that we have been besieged with from Quah’s friends in the Industry and before that the many phone calls that came in to enquire about his condition while in the ICU shows that we are not alone in facing this sad loss.

On a parting note, below is a poem from Chiu Sheng Bin in memory of Quah Yin Thye:

I am of the nature to decay, I have not gone beyond decay

I am of the nature to be diseased, I have not gone beyond disease

I am of the nature to die, I have not gone beyond death

All that is mine, both beloved and pleasing, will change and vanish

I am the owner of my actions, born and supported by my actions

Whatever I do, whether good or evil . of that I shall be the heir

Tan,C.C.

Deceased Staff: Ho Yuk Wah

Deceased Staff

Summary: Ooi Ling Hoak (OLH)

	OOI LING HOAK (OLH) Contact Details : – Tel : – Fax : – Email : – Personal Web Page : –
Education
1976	B. Agr. Sc. (1st class Hons)	University of Malaya
Career Outline
1976	Agricultural Officer	Department of Agriculture, Perak
1976 – 1977	Plantation Assistant	Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd.
1977 – 1986	Agronomist, Research Officer	Highlands Research Unit (HRU) Sdn. Bhd.
1986 – 2003	Agronomist, Principal Research Officer and Section Head, Techno-Economic and Management Section.	Applied Agricultural Research (AAR) Sdn. Bhd.
2004 – 2008	Agronomist, Principal Research Officer and Section Head, Techno-Economic and Management Section.	Advanced Agriecological Research (AAR) Sdn. Bhd.
Job Description
As an Agronomist, my main duty is to provide agronomic advices on oil palm, cocoa and coconut to our two Principals; Boustead Plantations Bhd and Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd, and also to our clients. I have more than twenty five years’ experience in the nutrition, pest and disease control and planting practices in these crops. Occasionally, I also carry out economic and feasibility studies on the three plantation crops. As a Principal Research Officer, I am responsible for the research programmes undertaken by the Techno-Economic and Management Section. The research programmes cover mechanization/automation, worker productivity improvement, development of worker and manager-friendly techniques, treatment and utilization of palm oil mill by-products, precision agriculture, land clearing, drainage and economic studies.
Key Research Interests
My current research interests are: 1) zero-waste zero-discharge system of treating palm oil mill effluent (POME) and empty fruit bunch (EFB), 2) detaching fruits from fresh fruit bunches (FFB) and sending only the loose fruits to the mills, 3) zero-burn techniques of clearing oil palm for replanting and their impacts on the replanted palms, 4) automation of FFB weighing in the field and transmitting data to the plantation office wirelessly for the production of yield map, crop production and harvester performance reports, payroll and other reports required by the plantation managers and agronomists, 5) to integrate a controller to a local fertilizer spreader for variable rate application of fertilizer on the go, and 6) mechanization of FFB evacuation and application of fertilizer/EFB.
Discoveries
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Products
Have led or directly involved in the development of the following products:
Oil palm yield monitor in the form of a purpose-built instrumented tractor-trailer equipped with load cells, GPS receiver, memory chip and wireless communication system, and supported by in-house customized software. This was jointly developed by AAR, Avery Malaysia S/B and Montek Technologies (M) S/B and could be considered as the first oil palm yield monitor in the world. The system is able to automate the weighing and recording of FFB weight, location and time data and transmit them to the plantation office. Among other uses, the data acquired could be used to generate accurate yield map to serve as a starting point for precision agriculture (Ooi et al., 2003; Ooi & Heng, 2005).
Boustead Biotherm Palmass Plant and Process. This zero-waste zero-discharge method of treating palm oil mill effluent and empty fruit bunch was jointly developed by Boustead Plantations Bhd and AAR. The novel plant and process is being patented.
Hybrid coconut MATAG, a cross between Malayan Yellow Dwarf (MYD)/Malayan Red Dwarf (MRD) and Tagnanan Tall (TAG) coconuts developed by United Plantations Bhd. (UP). The TAG used in the production of MATAG was originally selected by me at Tagnanan Estate in Davao, Philippines and brought back to Kuala Lumpur on behalf of United Plantation Associations Malaysia (UPAM) members with interest in coconut breeding (HRU, UP & Golden Hope). After a year’s quarantine in a GH rubber estate in Bahau, the TAGs were then distributed and planted in the respective members’ estates and then used to produce new hybrids for evaluation. Among the importing members, only UP persevered and came out with the winning MATAG.
Hybrid coconut MAWA, a cross between MYD)/MRD and West African Tall (WAT). MAWA was first developed by the French (IRHO) and later evaluated by me in Malaysia and found to be the best hybrid coconut at that time (Ooi & Chew, 1985). In the meantime, WAT was imported and I was involved in the setting up of MYD/MRD seed gardens in Torkington, Chersonese, Bukit Selarong, Bukit Cheraka, Muar River, Bukit Nuri and Pulau Bai estates and subsequently became the biggest producer of MAWA hybrids in 1970s and 1980s in Malaysia.
Personal Details/Awards/Publications

Summary: Joyce Chong Siew Peng

	JOYCE CHONG SIEW PENG Contact Details : Applied Agricultural Resources S/B,Locked Bag 212, Sg. Buloh P.O.,47000 Sg. Buloh, Selangor,Malaysia. Tel : 6-03-61561152 Fax : 6-03-61561206 Email : joycechong@aarsb.com.my Personal Web Page : –
Education
1973	Higher School Certificate	–
Career Outline
1974 – 1982	Research Assistant	University Sains Malaysia
1983 – 1986	Lab. Supervisor	Highlands Research Unit
1986 – 1996	Lab. Supervisor	Applied Agricultural Research Sdn. Bhd.
1997 – 2005	Tissue Culture Lab. Manager	Applied Agricultural Research Sdn. Bhd.
2005 – 2006	Administrator	Applied Agricultural Resources Sdn. Bhd.
2006 – 2007	Tissue Culturist	Applied Agricultural Resources Sdn. Bhd.
Job Description
Tissue Culturist. Was Laboratory Supervisor at HRU. Promoted to Laboratory Manager at AAR Tissue Culture Laboratory. Transferred to Administration section as an assistant Administrative Officer in 2005. Experience in setting up an OSHA Committee and implementing its requirements for the whole organization. Launched the company into active participation in the HRDF thereby spear heading active training and retraining of the workforce for continual performance and improvement. Transferred to crop improvement section in 2006 as tissue culturist in AAR new tissue culture laboratory.
Key Research Interests
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Discoveries
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Products
Have led or directly involved in the development of the following products:
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Personal Details/Awards/Publications

Summary: Chan Weng Hoong (CWH)

	CHAN WENG HOONG (CWH) Contact Details : Applied Agricultural Resources S/B,Locked Bag 212, Sg. Buloh P.O.,47000 Sg. Buloh, Selangor,Malaysia. Tel : 6-03-61561152 Fax : 6-03-61561206 Email : chanwh@aarsb.com.my Personal Web Page : –
Education
1973	B. Agric. Sc. (Hons.)	University of Malaya (UM)
Career Outline
1973 – 1978	Assistant Research Officer	Highland Research Unit
1978 – 1984	Research Officer	Highland Research Unit
1985 – 1986	Senior Research Officer	Highland Research Unit
1986 – 1998	Senior Research Officer	Applied Agricultural Research S/B
1998 – 2009	Principal Research Officer, Head of Agromanagement, Section Head, OP and Rubber Advisory.	Applied Agricultural Resources S/B
2009 – Present	Consultant	Applied Agricultural Resources Sdn. Bhd.
Job Description
Part-time Consultant. Provide consultancy on oil palm and rubber to both Principal and non principal estates. As Section Head of oil palm and rubber, I am in charge of allocation of estates to all advisory officers and also plan the annual leaf and soil sampling programmes for Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak. My advisory estates cover Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Indonesia. I am particularly interested in advisory work on oil palm cultivated on peat in Indonesia, having visited oil palm and rubber areas there for 10 years.
Key Research Interests
My main interest is in rubber research especially in exploitation and clonal evaluation. Research interest in exploitation includes the evaluation of short cuts while evaluation of the latest Prang Besar and RRIM 2000 series clones is also being conducted.
Discoveries
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Products
Have led or directly involved in the development of the following products:
AAR jacket system and AAR Rainguard, both of which have been patented
Personal Details/Awards/Publications

Summary: Periasamy Arunasalem

	Periasamy Arunasalem Contact Details : – Tel : – Fax : – Email : – Personal Web Page : –
Education
	Senior Cambridge
Career Outline
1969 – 1986	Assistant Research Officer	Highlands Research Unit (HRU)
1986 – 2004	Assistant Research Officer	Applied Agricultural Research Sdn. Bhd.