HRH Tuanku Zara Salim made IChemE patron

ICHEME has made Her Royal Highness, Raja Permaisuri Perak Darul Ridzuan Tuanku Zara Salim, the first Royal Patron of IChemE in Malaysia.

HRH Tuanku Zara Salim holds a first-class degree in chemical engineering from the University of Nottingham, UK. During her career she has worked at Petronas, been a vice president at Formis, and was managing director of hydrocarbon consultancy Forthwave Consulting. She was made an Honorary Fellow of IChemE in 2013, which was awarded for her interest in the continued improvement of Malaysia’s education and academic performance.

As Royal Patron of IChemE, HRH Tuanku Zara Salim will continue to employ that interest to raise awareness of the chemical engineering profession in Malaysia and promote it as a career option for young people.

'I am pleased to accept IChemE’s invitation to be their Royal Patron in Malaysia. Chemical engineering can be a challenging career, but rewarding as well. Chemical engineers are highly employable, have wide and diverse career options, and can make a big impact in society and the environment. I intend to, as Royal Patron of the IChemE, do my part to inspire the younger generation to consider chemical engineering as a viable career choice,' she said.

HRH Tuanku Zara Salim will accept her Royal Patron status at the IChemE Malaysia Awards on 24 October 2016. The ceremony will be attended by IChemE’s president Jonathan Seville, president and CEO of Petronas Datuk Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin, IChemE Malaysia chairman Abdul Aziz Abdul Raman, and various academic and corporate leaders from the region.

Bakhtiar Talhah, IChemE director of South East Asia, said that he is 'delighted' that HRH Tuanku Zara Salim has accepted the invitation to be a Royal Patron.

'She is an inspirational figure, particularly to young women in Malaysia, because she is articulate, intelligent, gracious and ambitious. Diversity has always been a key priority for IChemE, and I hope that by having such a prominent figure representing us we will be able to achieve that,' he said.