Leadership

Dato' Professor Emeritus Dr. Hashim Yaacob was a professor at the Faculty of Dentistry for 22 years. He began serving the University of Malaya in 1975 and retired in 2008. He was Visiting Professor and external examiner in Dentistry to USM, UITM and MAHSA Universities. He was conferred the Emeritus Professorship honour by the University of Malaya in 2015.

He has published more than 100 scientific articles, and presented 150 conference papers (1980-2015) beside winning 21 gold, silver and bronze medals for scientific inventions at international and national levels (2000-2008), and has produced three scientific patents (with co-workers). His research findings and clinical expertise had been recognized and honored by august institutions through conferment of Fellowships status to him. The Fellowships and Institutions are:

FRCPath by The Royal College of Pathologists United Kingdom (2013); FFOP (RCPA) by The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (1996); MIBiol, CBiol (Chartered Biologist) by The Institute of Biology, United Kingdom (1996); FDSRCSEng by The Royal College of Surgeons of England (1995). Hashim became the first person in Asia or Malaysia to have received such honours.

He is Founder Honorary Life Member of Eastman Academy of University College London Alumni Association (2000); Honorary Member, International Association for Dental Research (1998); FASc by The Academy of Science, Malaysia (2000).

He has won Anugerah Saintis Cemerlang, Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi, Malaysia (2004, 2005); Anugerah "Tokoh Ilmuan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur" from Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (2011); Anugerah "Lifetime Professional Integrity Award" from Malaysian Professional Centre and Rotary International (2009).

His major contributions in the field of health and education are as follows: the acquisition of the recognition for the University of Malaya Bachelor in Dental Surgery Degree from the General Dental Council of Great Britain (GDC) (1997). Dame Margaret Seward, President of the GDC had stated that the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Malaya delivered a course of the highest standard to match the best in the world (1997); the introduction of Masters and Doctorate Degrees in all disciplines of Dentistry (1999); the introduction of Royal College of Surgeons of England Fellowship Specialist examinations into Malaysia (1987); signing MOUs on behalf of the University of Malaya with 52 other well-known universities including Cambridge, Carnegie Mellon, California, London, Frankfurt, Peking, Xiamen, and Fudan Universities (1987-2005).

He holds the following degrees and professional qualifications: FRCPath (United Kingdom); FFOP (RCPA) (Australia); FDSRCS (England); FDSRCPSGlas (Scotland); FASc (Malaya); MIBiol; CBiol (United Kingdom); MSc (London University); BDS (Otago University); Diploma in Islamic Studies (International Islamic University Malaysia).

Prof. Dr. Sheikh Omar Kalash was born in Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon, into an Arab family of distinguished intellectual heritage from the Kalash lineage, whose genealogy is traced to Zainul ‘Abidin ibn Husayn ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib. He was raised within a strong tradition of moderate and classical Islamic learning, in an environment deeply rooted in religious education, adab, and respect for the role of learned authorities in society.

From an early age, he received direct instruction from prominent ulama in Lebanon and the broader Arab world, alongside his formal academic education. He undertook extensive study of the Islamic intellectual tradition through the reading of classical turath texts at various levels, including works on Hadith, ‘Aqidah, Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Tafsir, and other branches of Islamic knowledge. This early formation laid a strong foundation for his academic discipline and his enduring commitment to the preservation and transmission of the Islamic scholarly tradition.

He subsequently pursued higher education and obtained two Master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees (PhD) in fields related to Usul al-Fiqh and Hadith. The integration of traditional Islamic learning with modern academic training has established him as an academician of balanced intellectual orientation, grounded in both the turath tradition and contemporary scholarship.

Currently a permanent resident of Malaysia, Prof. Dr. Sheikh Omar Kalash is widely recognised as a professor with expertise across several areas of Islamic studies. His principal fields of specialisation include Usul al-Fiqh, ijtihad, Islamic curriculum and pedagogy, the history of Islam in Southeast Asia, and the study of sanad among Malay ulama, particularly in Penang. He has also been granted teaching accreditation by MAIS (Selangor), MAIWP (Kuala Lumpur), MAINS (Negeri Sembilan), and MAINPP (Penang).