NOVEMBER 14 — On October 24, 2026, I returned to the Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya, to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of its Department of Biomedical Engineering.

It was a memorable occasion, bringing together former and current lecturers, alumni, students and colleagues from the industry. For someone who had been involved in the early development of biomedical engineering at the university, the gathering brought back many memories of a time when the future of this relatively new discipline was far from certain.

One of the highlights was listening to Professor Wan Abu Bakar, the founding Chair of the Department, recount how it all began. His recollections reminded me of something that may surprise those who know biomedical engineering today as an established academic discipline.