I had a tiring but very fulfilling and satisfying weekend. On Saturday 16th August, Universiti Tengku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) organized another launch of my class book “Beyond the White Coat (the first launch was held in University Malaya on September 2024). During this launch, my classmate Professor Peh Suat Cheng, representing the 21 authors, handed over a cheque for RM62,390.80 – the first proceeds of sales of our book “Beyond the White Coat”, to the board of UTAR Hospital to be used for the UTAR Hospital Patient Welfare Fund. The Fund is used to assist those who cannot afford to pay for treatment. Later during the weekend, as an illustration of the use of this fund, I was told the story of a patient who was a beneficiary. He was a man who was in renal failure needing dialysis. He defaulted dialysis and refused to come to the hospital because he could not afford the cost of treatment and transport. The hospital arranged for an ambulance to go fetch him and after dialysis send him back home.
For this book launch, one of the authors, a pioneering lady cardiologist in Malaysia, donated 50 of our class books to be gifted to the first 50 UTAR medical students who attended the ceremony – as can be expected the books were enthusiastically received and the students lined up to get the autographs of the authors who were present. It was my first visit to the UTAR Campus in Sungai Long, built with public donations. I was very impressed. To me it was an embodiment of the selfless desire of responsible, altruistic citizens to provide a good education to people of limited means to help them succeed in life.
After the ceremony, Angie and I drove to Kampar. We stayed in a beautiful suite, at the Grand Kampar, a pioneer hotel built in the town by the Hew family. The UTAR Hospital had organized its second medical conference and I had been invited to give a few lectures. Dr Hew Fen Lee, a Kamparian (Kampar boy) whose family had contributed generously to the UTAR hospital and his lovely wife Tammy, were our hosts. That night we were treated to a sumptuous dinner which included the famous giant Kampar River prawns. On Sunday morning Angie and I got up at 5 am to walk over to Westlake – the huge old mining pool in front of the UTAR hospital – for an early morning walk in the crisp morning air and catch a glorious sunrise which reflected beautifully off the water.
The conference later that morning was attended by general practitioners and government hospital doctors. I gave my lectures which included interactive sessions with the audience. The participants were a little shy but after a little bit of cajoling, participated actively in the ECG quiz session ; in my experience this is the best way to gain the most from a teaching session. Teaching has always been my passion and I enjoyed myself that morning. Copies of “Beyond the White Coat” was available for sale to the attendees.
After the lectures Tammy and Fen Lee treated us to a tasty lunch at the Grand Kampar – the hotel cooks are really good. After lunch, we were taken on our first drive around the UTAR campus. We were deeply impressed by the layout of the vast and beautiful grounds, the well-maintained facilities, and the wide range of academic courses offered to students. In some places the campus had breath taking vistas of rolling greens, with the large mining pool in the background where storks and egrets played, framed by conifers and mountains in the distance. As we walked through the campus, one could clearly sense the vision and philosophy of its founding fathers: education as a powerful means of uplifting the individual. One sculpture in the field in front of the convocation hall caught our attention. It was a bronze sculpture of Confucius and Einstein seated across one another playing chess (Confucius used traditional Chinese chess pieces whereas Einstein used Western Chess pieces) purportedly discussing the universality of learning and thinking. An inscription on a plaque in front of the sculpture explained its meaning. I have tried to summarize its contents thus : “This sculpture of Confucius and Einstein symbolizes the universality of learning and thinking across time, culture, and disciplines. Confucius, the great philosopher, shaped humanity’s moral outlook, while Einstein, the scientist, transformed our understanding of the universe. Though separated by centuries, both remind us that true progress comes from the harmony of learning and thinking. At Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, this spirit of dialogue between East and West continues, fostering wisdom, ethics, and innovation for the future” In addition I also felt that in today’s fractured and divided world, where even world leaders seem to discard traditional moral values, these words serve as timely food for thought—an appeal to reset our moral compass in the right direction.
Later that afternoon, we drove back to Petaling Jaya, physically tired yet uplifted by a weekend that had been both meaningful and enriching.
This is the link in e-store to buy “Beyond the White Coat”:
https://utarestore.utar.edu.my/products/beyond-the-white-coat-doctors-share-their-personal-journeys
Dr. Kannan Pasam (kannan.pasam@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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