A Tale Of Two Professionals

The blogger’s most learned friend, a retired medical and scientific researcher, Dr. Lim Ju Boo (pic right) frequently mentioned about his  “mysterious” past attendance of an engineering conference where he had no clue how he landed up there and no clue if he understood what was presented there. 

He recalled when he left the hall after the conference ended, he was approached by Ir. Cheong Chee Kwong (CK) whom he had not met before. Cheong thought he too was an engineer but was surprised to find out he was not. They became good friends ever since.

Ir. CK Cheong (pic left) was my former colleague in Angkasa Jurutera Perunding Sdn. Bhd from 1982 till 1986.  He brought me into a group of email buddies sometime in 2009 and that was when and how I got to know Dr. JB Lim who was the most active member of the group regularly sending a lot of messages / articles prolifically written by him.

Today I was informed by CK that it was the 24^th Conference of ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organizations (AFEO) or CAFEO 24 held in Sunway Pyramid Hotel, PJ on 2^nd December, 2006 when he met a “mysterious” participant who was a non-engineer i.e.  Dr. JB Lim.

It is noted that CAFEO 24 with the theme of “Branding of ASEAN Professional Engineering Services & Education for Global Mobility” was attended by the chief representatives from the following national engineering organizations in the 10 ASEAN member countries:

1. Pertubuhan Ukur, Jurutera dan Arkitek Brunei (PUJA)

2. Engineering Institution of Cambodia (EIC)

3. Persatuan Insinyur Indonesia (PII)

4. The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia (IEM)

5. Philippines Technological Council (PTC)

6. Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT)

7. Laos Union of Scientists & Engineers Association (LUSEA)

8. Myanmar Engineering Society (MES)

9. The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES)

10. Vietnam Union of Science & Technology Association (VUSTA)

The Conference was chaired by then AFEO Chairman / IEM President Engr. Datuk Prof. Dr. Ow Chee Sheng.

(The above information is provided by courtesy of Ir. CK Cheong)

CK’s own description about his encounter with Dr. Lim is as follows:

“Dr. JB Lim attended the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organizations’ 24th Conference at Sunway Pyramid Hotel in December, 2006,

During the Conference, he posed a very good question and offered some viewpoints which I admired and respected.  

As soon as the Conference was over, I followed to meet up with him to know more.  And I found out he is a Medical Doctor with such enormous amount of knowledge all round.

He is a fantastic walking encyclopedia.“ 

The blogger posed with Dr. JB Lim at Chap Goh Mei dinner on 05/03/2015

Ir. CK Cheong (left) with Dr. Lim's son Benjamin (standing) and future daughter-in-law at Chap Goh Mei dinner on 05/03/2015

The blogger posed with Dr. JB Lim after attending "Aladdin Musical Comedy" at PJ Live Arts Theatre on 21/11/2015

Feedback from Dr. JB Lim on 28/02/2021 2.29am: 

Hahahaha… Thank you Sifu Ir Lau for exposing this fraud who went incognito as an "engineer" at a high level 24th Conference of ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organizations (AFEO) in December 2006.

Now I find some relief off my chest as I need not hide any more as I am now exposed.

But quite honestly I really do not know how and why I went there? I couldn't have known about the engineering conference on my own.

Someone must have brought or recommended me there. I just really cannot recall.

It may have been through a scientific or technological association where I belong, and probably there was an announcement somewhere through a professional or scientific association where I belong.

I may have then decided to register, pay the conference fee, sit down there quietly to listen to papers being presented as I always do in most of these scientific conferences.

Thus, I may have gone there out of academic interest since engineering is something new to me and is nothing like learning anything new to me as I did when I did postdoctoral courses in evolution from the University of Cambridge in 2018 at the age of 80, then took up another course on astronomy from the University of Oxford, and went back again to Cambridge again to study forensic science in toxicology, all done within a year 25 years after my retirement as a medical researcher.

After all, I am still a scientist though in the medical field but with a strong background in mathematics and physics (I studied physics and mathematics at Aligrah Muslim University). 

Maybe I was already tired of attending too many other types of medical, nutrition and biological conferences in the past, and I wanted to hear something different though not an engineer.

So I do not think I have done anything wrong doing this or have I done any damage to the reputation of members of another profession such as engineering profession?

When I met Ir CK Cheong outside the conference hall, I admitted I was not an engineer, and I think I told him I attended out of academic interest which was fair enough.

Anyway, I cannot remember what question or questions I posed to the paper presenters there that may have impressed them as most colleagues and friends who know me over the years know I am quite curious and talkative person just about to talk on anything in a crowd.

Nevertheless whether or not I am an engineer today it makes no difference, as I am already retired, although if given another chance in life, I would prefer to be an astronomer, an astrophysicist, an astrobiologist, a pilot, a mathematician or a nuclear physicist or a nuclear engineer.

I am more inclined toward physical rather than biological or medical sciences.

After all, I have also studied food technology that includes food engineering and was thrilled to be able to apply some engineering and mathematical background aspects of heat transfer during food processing for my MSc degree.

Jb