History of Neurosurgery in Malaysia: The Past, Present and Future

The history of neurosurgery in Malaysia traces back to 1962 and is filled with stories of vibrant and humble neurosurgeons who have dedicated their life to patients and professions. The early development of neurological and neurosurgical services begins from the establishment of the neurosurgery unit at Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL), followed by the foundation of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Neuroscience Institute (IKTAR). Due to the exponentially increased demand for the care of neurosurgical patients, many universities and government hospitals have opened their neurosurgical units. In 2001, the formal residency training programme (USM Masters in Neurosurgery) started and since then has produced qualified neurosurgeons that empowered and shaped the present generation. The formation of the Neurosurgical Association of Malaysia (NAM) is another turning point towards bidirectional collaboration with the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS). Many opportunities were created for educational activities and the expansion of subspecialties in neurosurgery. This article describes the impact of the past neurosurgeons and the endeavors that they had gone through; the present neurosurgeons who pioneered the current neurosurgical services in Malaysia, and the future neurosurgeons that will continue the legacy and bring neurosurgery further ahead in this country.

Alhady, then the Head of Department of Surgery, Dr Roy Clifton Selby managed to set up a fully functional Neurosurgery Unit from scratch (a humble beginning at Ward 25) within a short period of two years in General Hospital Kuala Lumpur (GHKL, now known as Hospital Kuala Lumpur [HKL]). In the early phase, amongst the many challenges that Dr Roy Clifton Selby faced, apart from the clinical commitment, was to procure the necessary equipment for the operating room facilities. With the support from the Ministry of Health (MOH), he managed to get a donation from Switzerland and the Netherlands governments ( Figures 5 and 6). His main mission was to recruit suitable doctors to be trained as neurosurgeons and neurologists so that they can continue the works he had started.
Of the many remarkable achievements of Dr Roy Clifton Selby, perhaps the most notable one, was that he managed to send five trainees to the USA for neurosurgical training annually for 5 years in the early phase. Of the five, only three opted to return to serve the motherland after completion of their training, respectively. The first to return was Dato' Dr Nadasan Arumugasamy in 1969, followed by Dr Anavangot Mohandas (Figure 2). There was also proposal for Mr Miller to operate on three cases viz:-i) paraplegia (tuberculous)for antero-lateral decompression of cold abscess of the spine; ii) sciatic palsy (incomplete) following gun-shot wound; iii) cervical sympathectomy for Raynaud's disease ( Figure  3). On official records, this event marked the first ever Neurosurgical scientific presentation in Malaysia.
Neurosurgery as a subspecialty of surgery actually began in Malaysia with the arrival of Dr Roy Clifton Selby under the United States of America (USA) CARE/MEDICO programme in 1962 ( Figure 4). With the full support of Datuk undertook the overseas training of neurologist in the country. Of the three neurology trainees he sent overseas, only two returned to Malaysia: Dr C Balaratnam and Dr Sabri Rejab.
Dr Roy Clifton Selby returned to USA in 1970 ( Figure 7) and Dato' Dr Nadasan Arumugasamy took over as the Head of Department of Neurosurgery, GHKL. The neurosurgical service in GHKL was boosted with the return of Dr Anavangot Mohandas in 1971. Dr Swaran Singh Khera returned in 1972 and was posted to Penang General Hospital, tasked with the responsibility of setting up neurosurgical service to cater for the northern region of the Malayan Peninsular. Neurosurgery in the early days was very challenging with the lack of facilities and all the patients scattered in different wards sprawled all over the large compound of GHKL. In 1970, the then Prime Minister of Malaya, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Alhaj laid the foundation stone for a separate building dedicated for neurosciences viz. neurosurgery, neurology and psychiatry. This building is now known as the Tunku Abdul Rahman Neuroscience Institute (IKTAR) ( Figure  8).
In August 1973, the services of neurosurgery, neurology and psychiatry moved into IKTAR. IKTAR started with 240 beds, 80 beds for each specialty, respectively. The institute housed various services ranging from neurosurgery operation theatres (subsequently with intensive care unit ward), neuradiology (e.g. in those days, neurosurgeons themselves performed cerebral angiography by direct puncture of carotid artery/brachial artery), neuropathology, electroencephalography (EEG), electro-convulsive therapy and so on. By 1975, IKTAR was run by a small core of well-trained dedicated specialists and specialty skilled technicians and graduate nurses, many of whom had been trained overseas. In 1975 alone, more than 500 operations of the nervous system were carried out, in addition to over 2,000 contrast studies. Neuropathological examination of all surgical specimens were processed in the Institute and reported by Dato' Dr Nadasan Arumugasamy, who also performed regular postmortem brain cutting sessions.
IKTAR was officially opened by the then Minister of Health, YB Tan Sri Dr Lee Siok Yew in March 1975, after it had been operational for a year. A forum on neurological sciences in developing countries was held to commemorate the occasion. This forum was well attended by many foreign distinguished neurosurgeons which included Dr Paul C. Bucy and Dr A. Baker from USA; Dr G. Baumgartner and Dr Andre Haynal from Switzerland; Dr Bedbrook, Dr Cawte and Dr John Game from Australia; Dr Tsubaki from Japan, and Dr H. Wadia and Dr Ramamurthi from India. Dr Roy Clifton Selby also returned to Kuala Lumpur for this special occasion which was also attended by many regional specialists from ASEAN countries. In the prime days under the leadership of Dato' Dr Nadasan Arumugasamy and Dr Anavangot Mohandas, IKTAR was highly regarded as a premier neurosurgery centre in the ASEAN region. However, in 1979, Dr Anavangot Mohandas decided to leave the government service and became the first neurosurgeon in private practice in Malaysia. About the same year, Dr Swaran Singh Khera emigrated to Adelaide, Australia. Dato' Dr Nadasan Arumugasamy remained at the helm of neurosurgery service in the country until his retirement in 1986.
Dato' Dr Nadasan Arumugasamy undertook the training of more neurosurgeons to overcome the acute shortage of neurosurgeon following a lapse in neurosurgery training. Under a co-operative programme with the University of Adelaide, Dr Gunasekaran Balasundaram was sent there for training in 1980, followed by Dr Lee Foo Chang a year later. Dr Gunasekaran returned in 1984 whist Dr Lee returned in 1985, after successfully obtaining their Fellowship in Neurosurgery (FRACS) (Figures 9 and 10). Dr Gunasekaran, apparently frustrated by the government requirement to sit for bahasa Malaysia paper for confirmation as neurosurgeon, left for private practice in Gleneagles Hospital, Pulau Pinang in 1986. In 1988, Dr Lee Foo Chang also followed suit and left for private practice in Subang Jaya Medical Centre.

Dr Roy Clifton Selby
Dr Roy Clifton Selby was born on 28 September 1930 in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. He received his MD cum laude from University of Arkansas Medical School. He underwent neurosurgery training at the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at Neuropsychiatry Institute at University of Illinois (1958)(1959)(1960)(1961), followed by fellowship at the Department of Neurosurgery at Lahey Clinic in Boston, Massachusetts under the renowned name of Dr James Poppen (1961)(1962).
Dr Roy Clifton Selby came to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1962 with his wife Marilyn, his one and a half-year-old son, his 1 month-old daughter and 2 dogs. He was responsible for setting up the groundwork for the development of neurosciences (neurosurgery in particular) conducted numerous video interviews of senior neurosurgeons and neuroscientists worldwide. He was also a pioneer in spine surgery, one of his most important contributions was his insistence on the spine to be an important part of neurosurgical practice. He was a founder of the Lumbar Spine Society.
Dr Roy Clifton Selby was also a talented writer. Besides 18 published papers and editorials, he also wrote essays and short stories. One of his most popular essays was 'A Delicate Operation' which was published in Harper's magazine in 1975 (1). He also wrote on his surgical experience in Malaysia which included two case reports of tropical fungal infection Allescheria boydii and cryptococcal granulomata (2, 3), a book chapter on Tropical Neurology (e.g. neurosurgical aspects of leprosy) (4, 5) and a study of intracranial neoplasm (6). He was also a passionate lover of classical music. He made a return trip to Malaysia in March 1975 for the official opening of the IKTAR ( Figure 12) and the Symposium on Neurological Sciences in Developing Countries which was held in conjunction with the opening. In 1976, Dr Roy Clifton Selby had a heart attack which subsequently required a bypass surgery. In 1986, a pacemaker was inserted. In April 1995, he received a heart transplant from a 13-year-old girl. He put his old heart in a glass jar for display on his mantle because 'it will make a good conversation piece'. In January 2002, he wrote:-'No city noise, no sirens; quietude. Eight miles west of my doctor and hospital (which I seek to avoid) and only twelve miles from the cemetery that should reduce expenses a bit' Up until his last days of life, he still maintained his sombre sense of humour. Dr Roy Clifton Selby passed away on 20 January 2002 at the age of 71. He had left a legacy in neurosurgery which will be remembered and cherished forever by all of us.
'As clinicians, perhaps we must remain advocates for the individual, resist every effort of planners to impose a system or limitations on us and the service we must provide and improve upon' wrote Dr Selby.
This should serve as a constant reminder for all of us in our current environment with increasing corporatisation of health care (adapted from a memoriam written by Dato' Dr Nadasan Arumugasamy, dated 7 April 2002 in an article 'A humanist neurosurgeon: A legacy of Dr Roy Selby' by Lichterman et al. (7).
in Malaysia. He came to Malaysia under the auspices of CARE MEDICO (an American non-profit government organisation). Dr Roy Clifton Selby will be remembered as the founder of neurosciences in Malaysia. He literally set up the Malaysian Neurosurgical Service from scratch. He undertook his pioneering works with enthusiasm, hard work and determination. Despite the lack of facilities and anaesthetist at his time, he performed about 10 surgeries per week. One of his trainees, Dr Swaran Singh Khera described him as 'tall good looking man. He worked hard every day including weekends, appeared stern and serious when at work, but sort of shy and likeable at social gatherings'.
Dr Roy Clifton Selby was a strong advocate of International Medical Assistance to developing countries with his vision of arranging people to be trained in the USA and then return home to serve their motherland. He was instrumental in the recruitment of five neurosurgeons and three neurologists from Malaysia to be trained overseas notably in the USA and Canada, in addition to several paramedical staff in radiology, neuropathology and nursing. Dr Roy Clifton Selby also played an important role in the formation of Neurosurgical Foundation of Malaysia which led to the creation of a separate building for neurosciences viz. the IKTAR. For many years, the foundation has continued to provide direction and support for improving facilities in the related specialities, in addition to subsidising conferences and travel grants for doctors and nurses. In 1970, in recognition of his meritorious service to the country, Dr Roy Clifton Selby was conferred the federal royal award, 'Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm' by the King.
Dr Roy Clifton Selby returned to Chicago, USA in May 1970 after his first trainee, Dr Nadasan Arumugasamy completed his overseas training ( Figure 11). He initially worked in Cook County Hospital as Chair of the Department of Neurology. He later ventured into private practice in his home city of Little Rock before retiring in 1986. Before his retirement, Dr Roy Clifton Selby was active in teaching and delivering lectures in many local universities. He was Adjunct Professor at East Texas State University teaching neuroendocrinology, psychology and biomedical ethics. He was a member of many national and international professional societies. He was Chairman of the Archives Committee of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and had  brain cutting sessions) and neuro-physiology investigations (e.g. reporting on EEG). In essence, Dato' Aru was a neurosurgeon, neurologist, neuroradiologist, neurophysiologist and neuropathologist all moulded into one. He was truly a complete neurosurgeon ( Figure 13). Dato' Aru was instrumental in establishing the Neurosurgical Foundation of Malaysia and erecting a new building -the IKTAR which provided the specialised services of neurosurgery, neurology and psychiatry confined to one premise. The institute was highly regarded as a landmark of achievement in the development of neurosciences in the ASEAN region at that time. Dato' Aru was the Founding Director of the Neurosurgical Foundation and remained active as the Honorary Secretary General until the very last days of his life.
Since 1958, Dato' Aru had published and presented more than 61 papers on various subjects of the central and peripheral nervous system, including his favourite topic on cryptococcal infection/cryptococcoma (8) and tumours like cerebellar sarcoma and meningiosarcoma (9). Dato' Aru was fellow and member and council member of countless national and international professional societies and non-governmental organisations (NGO). In 1995, he became the prestigious Fellow of Academy of Sciences Malaysia and he was unanimously elected as the first President of the Neurosurgical Association of Malaysia (NAM) which was founded in 2001. Dato' Aru returned to Malaysia at the end of 1969 and took over from Dr Roy Clifton Selby as the head of the Neurosurgery Department in HKL. In his heydays, besides his heavy clinical and administrative responsibilities, Dato' Aru practically had to do everything himself which included neuro-radiological procedures (e.g. cerebaral angiogram by direct puncture of the carotid or brachial arteries), neuropathology laboratory service (e.g. he read and reported on the all histological specimens and conducted  He left for the USA in 1966 and completed his residency programme in the University of Minnesota. Dr Anavangot Mohandas was a pioneer in the study of brain death. During his training in Minnesota, his paper titled 'Brain death -a clinical and pathology study' was published in a textbook on Coma by Plum & Posner in the USA (10,11). Dr Anavangot Mohandas returned to HKL in 1971 and worked closely with Dato' Dr Nadasan Arumugasamy. He was very friendly and approachable, described by his contemporaries as honest, forthright, a competent and stylish neurosurgeon and above all very charitable and just. He was a kind and caring person, well respected and admired by his colleagues and juniors alike. Dr Anavangot Mohandas left the government service and became the first neurosurgeon to venture into private practice in Malaysia. Although busy with his own private practice, he was ever ready to render assistance and advice to younger neurosurgeons. While I was working in Ipoh Specialist Hospital, I sought his help once and he drove all the way from Kuala Lumpur to assist me in clipping a complex anterior communicating artery aneurysm. He was gracious and did not bother to charge the patient at all.   Figure 15). He returned to Malaysia in 1972. He was the third Malaysian neurosurgeon to have returned from overseas training. He was given the responsibility to set up Neurosurgical service in the northern region of Peninsular Malaya as the first neurosurgeon in Penang General Hospital. The lack of proper equipment at that time compelled him to improvise surgical instrument from the local hardware shop. He resigned from government service after seven years and emigrated to Adelaide, Australia in 1979. At the age of 84, Dr Swaran Singh Khera is currently happily and physically active with three sons, a grandson and a great grandson.

Dato' Dr Nadasan Arumugasamy
It came as a shock to all of us when Dr Anavangot Mohandas suddenly succumbed to a myocardial infarct after doing his evening ward round in 31 January 1993. He was only 55 year old. The sudden demise of Dr Anavangot Mohandas was a great loss to the nation. The neuroscience community, particularly the neurosurgery fraternity had lost a great friend and a trusted colleague. In recognition of his invaluable contribution to neurosurgery, the Neuroscience Society of Malaysia (NSM) in 1994 had set up a trust fund with the objectives to promote co-operation, research and publication in the field of neurosciences, particularly in neurosurgery, a 'Mohandas Memorial Lecture' will be delivered by a distinguished personality annually in conjunction with the scientific meeting of the Neuroscience Society of Malaysia ( Figure 14). Dr Anavangot Mohandas always carried a little book with these sayings which he lived by them: 'My work is my prayer, Never live on regrets and debts, Duty is never sweet'

Dr Swaran Singh Khera
Dr Swaran Singh Khera was born in 1936 in Tanjung Malim, Perak, a son of a migrant from Punjab who came to Peninsular Malaya in 1915. He is the middle sibling of five, four boys and one girl. He attended the first English school in   Figure 16). He also practice at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan.  (14). After a few years at UH, Dr Richard Veerapan left for private practice in 1988, followed by Dr Chee Chee Pin in 1991. The neurosurgical services after the departure of Dr Chee Chee Pin saw an era of crests and troughs, spanning the rest of the decade of the 1990s. Gaps were filled at different intervals by Dr Lim Heng Tien, Dr Nachiappen, Dr Liew Shih Shing (a Malaysian lady Doctor who trained in the USA) and intermittently by Dr Ahmad Zubaidi Abdul Latiff who was covering from HKL on the good graces of the MOH. This was a protracted period. Despite the tireless contributions of the above who were synonymous with tenacity and resilience, sadly the services repeatedly caved. The limitations of support from the MOH, the university administrative structure, the challenges of funding, resources and human capital (at the turn of the millennium there were only about 20 neurosurgeons serving a population of 23.2 million) led to unsustainability. The establishment of a Neurosurgical Unit to provide a sustainable comprehensive practice, potentially evolving to a stand-alone Tertiary Centre remained elusive. As the divisional faculty increased, the path was paved for UM to launch its Master of Neurosurgery Programme. An arduous period of formulation, negotiations and robust discussions finally met with approvals from the UM Senate and acceptance by all the cohorts of the Neurosurgical Fraternity of Malaysia. The first intake was in November 2019 (disruptions in the intake schedules and timelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic). From Dr Vicknes Waran's sole endeavour to its current state of appraisal as a major Neurosurgical Service and Training Centre in Malaysia, UM has progressively evolved in all facets of the neurosurgical compass:

Subspecialisation
Provides general neurosurgical services and subspecialisation in:

Centre for Image Guided and Minimally Invasive Therapy (CIGMIT) in Neurological Surgery
This centre is a private public partnership (PPP) project that provides state-of-art treatment facilities for the neurosurgical patients at the UMMC and University of Malaya Specialist in the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) by Dr Jafri Malin Abdullah, Dr Vicknes Waran was acknowledged as having established a parallel training pathway for neurosurgical trainees in UM. Aspirants with a postgraduate qualification in General Surgery, either with Master of Surgery or FRCS (Surgery in General) were enrolled into a Twinning Programme that entailed 3 years of training in UM, followed by a 2 to 3-year stint in an accredited training post in the UK or Ireland, culminating in the FRCS (Neurosurgery). The peer acknowledgement and mutual respect between these two stalwarts has indeed driven neurosurgery to the forefront in the region.
Dr Jagdeep Singh Nanra joined UM as a consultant neurosurgeon in October 2004 after training in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin and obtaining his FRCS (Neurosurgery). This was a welcome end to Dr Vicknes Waran's 3-year tenure as the sole consultant neurosurgeon on-call daily for more than 3 years. With that the foundations were laid for the eventual establishment of a fully in-house Neurosurgery Training Programme in UM. The three initial candidates were succeeded by a series of a further seven trainees who went on to either complete their FRCS (Neurosurgery) or PhD. Drs Devaraj Pancharatnam and Amritpal Singh Sidhu went to Oxford University Hospitals and completed their fellowship in Skull Base Neurosurgery.
The rest of the UM Neurosurgery Training Alumni consists of: Original Article | History of neurosurgery in Malaysia just for the available equipment but also for its innovative business plan. All the neurosurgical colleagues within the Unit have been robustly involved in developing neurosurgery in general and their subspecialty niches and hobby horses, via innovations, collaborations, research and development notwithstanding busy practices and arduous commitments. UM has always and continues to be a proponent of continuing neurosurgical education. Working on its own, and with the NAM, the division has organised and conducted numerous neurosurgical workshops, education courses, meetings, symposiums and conferences on national, regional and international platforms.
The Centre (UMSC). The original plan was presented to the National Economic Planning (NEP) Unit for their input and subsequently received cabinet approval before implementation. The planning for this facility began in 2007 and the facilities opened to public in 2016.
The aim of developing this cutting edge centre was to ensure that the neurosurgeons who trained in UM would continue to remain and serve the university and the nation. The centre was imperative so our Malaysian patients could enjoy the benefits for such technology which at that time was only available in certain first world nations. The centre also served as the conterminous engine to drive the Unit ever to the fore. The centre was not only an innovative first for the nation in terms of equipment, it was also an innovative private-public partnership to fund a RM-upper-8 figure project. The funding mechanism developed was not just new to Malaysia but also somewhat new in a global context.
The facility consists of an operating room connected to a 1.5T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, a second operating room connected to a CT scanner, and a Radiation Suite with a linear accelerator that allows complex brain tumours and other central nervous system (CNS) pathology to be treated non-invasively, in addition to being able to deliver conventional radiation treatment. To date this remains the only such centre in Malaysia. With the availability of this centre, theoretically patients should no longer require repeat operations for either misplacement of spinal fixations or brain tumours that have been not been satisfactorily treated. This centre has also proven to be financially profitable to the various stakeholders vested in it. It has become a reference site not Neurosurgical service in UKM continued with the arrival of Dr Benedict Selladurai in 1993 following his resignation from USM. Dr Selladurai played a vital role in upgrading the neurosurgical service and training in UKM. He has a keen interest in the management of Head Injury and has co-authored a book 'Head injury -a comprehensive guide for initial management' published by McGraw-Hill (Sydney) in 2007 which was awarded as 'a highly recommended title' by British Medical Association (15). He also has a special interest in epilepsy surgery.  (Figures 23 and 24). This training centre opened an opportunity to introduce USM to the world establishing different specialties from cerebrovascular neurosurgery and interventional neuroradiology, paediatric neurosurgery, stereotactic radiosurgery, spine and peripheral nerve surgery, skull base neurosurgery, interventional pain therapy, neurooncology, stereotactic and functional image guided neurosurgery, deep brain stimulation and epilepsy surgery, making this department the only recognised training centre under the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS). As part of the continuing professional education and keeping abreast with neurosurgical skill, from the beginning, USM was able to secure places for courses, such as a high-speed drill course in October 2004 (Figure 29), followed by a microsurgery workshop in 2005 (Figure 30). To date, the courses remain open not just to USM residents but also to others. Collaboration with lab, event related potential, eye tracking system, functional MRI (fMRI) lab, animal and human behaviour/psychology lab, neurogenetics, neuro-electrophysiology lab with patch clamp and xenopus oocyte facilities, and stem cell and neuroregeneration lab.
Dr Jafri Malin Abdullah ( Figure 37A Arumugam as the treasurer. At the same, the final year examination for May 2017 was held in HKL and Dr Saleem was invited as the external examiner ( Figure 35).
The department has a combination of different specialists from neurology, neurorehabilitation, neuroanesthesiologist, clinical neuropsychologist and neuroscientists. The vast experience from other specialties is a great backbone for a successful training programme. By the end of 2021, the USM Department of Neurosciences had produced 103 neurosurgeons.

Neurosurgery in Kuala Lumpur
Dr Selvapragasam Thambiah, who received his major training under Dato' Dr Nadasan Arumugasamy and also spent time at the Institute of Neurosciences in Glasgow, took over as head of the neurosurgery department HKL in 1986 after the retirement of Dato' Dr Nadasan Arumugasamy. Dr Ho Yau Shen, who was trained in Belgium, returned and served for a few years before moving to Hospital Sultanah Aminah in 1991. Dr Selvapragasam was dedicated to his service until his retirement in 2001 ( Figure  39). After his retirement, he provided sessional service to the department for some years and later concentrated on private practice in which he is still active.
Dr  With ongoing vigorous support and continuing enthusiasm, IKTAR HKL, which currently has 15 neurosurgeons serving the department (Figure 41), is set to maintain its position as the premier neurosurgical referral and training centre in Malaysia, although many private hospitals have sprouted up that provide excellent neurosurgical services. There are currently more than 26 resident neurosurgeons in major private hospitals in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor (Figure 42).
in collaboration with USM. He also promoted tele-neurosurgery to allow easy neurosurgery consultation and access from hospitals in remote districts nationwide.
To keep abreast of the rapidly advancing neurosurgery innovations, he also introduced modern facilities such as brain suites in three major hospitals in Johor Bahru, Sungai Buloh, and Kuching. During his tenure as Head of the National Neurosurgery Programme, Dr Johari Siregar Adnan was assisted by Dr Mohammed Saffari Haspani, who also completed his training in Leuven, Belgium, in 1994 ( Figure 40B

Neurosurgery in Sungai Buloh
The hospital was developed in 1999 with the main purpose of easing congestion at Hospital Kuala Lumpur of patients needing treatment. The hospital was built 23 km from HKL on the border between Gombak and Petaling districts and became operational on 11 September 2006; neurosurgical services started on 3 November 2006 with the opening of a ward, an outpatient clinic and emergency surgery. The catchment areas are Gombak, Petaling and Kuala Selangor (29% of the total area of Selangor). Two months later, elective cases were added as part of the expansion of neurosurgical services.
The first neurosurgeon was Dr Azmin Kass Rosman ( Figure 43A). Dr Azmin Kass Rosman was a local graduate who received his early training in IKTAR and later completed his neurosurgery training in Leuven, Belgium, from 1993-1996. After his return, he worked  Figure 44). Since 2010, the hospital has been the first health institution in Malaysia providing a brain suite for intraoperative CT (Figure 45). In 2012, the first deep-brain stimulation via awake surgery for Parkinson's disease was performed. This was the first surgery at the MOH Malaysia hospital. To 2020, there had been a total of seven successful cases. From the beginning of 2014, the service expanded to include epilepsy cases. To 2020, a total of 65 cases had been performed (Figure 46). The department is also active in research activities, with numerous journal publications and presentations at recognised meetings to its credit. (Figures 43D-43F). Dr Ailani Ghani was at Hospital Sungai Buloh for four years (2015-2019) before moving to Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan and Dr Ng Wei Ping ( Figure 41L) served for one year (2016-2017) before moving to HKL. Dr Lee Shwu Yi completed the Master in Neurosurgery USM programme in 2019 and Dr Muhammad Aizzat Othman in 2020, have recently joined the department (Figures 43G and 43H).

Dr You Xin Li
The Hospital Sungai Buloh Neurosurgery Department has been a regular venue for training courses and professional examination, including the final year examination for Master of

Neurosurgery in Johor
Neurosurgery service was first introduced to Johor Bahru in 1989 when Dr Ahmad Khan Ibrahim Khan joined the Johor Specialist Hospital in the private sector. Neurosurgery as a subspecialty service in the government sector started in 1991 in Hospital Sultanah Aminah Johor Bahru, a magnificent hospital founded in 1882 that faces the Straits of Tebrau (Figure 47). The first head of the Department of Neurosurgery was Dr Ho Yau Shen ( Figure  39, standing, right), a local graduate of the UM who was initially trained at IKTAR and later in Leuven, Belgium, under Professor Vanden Berg. Dr Ho Yau Shen started from scratch by sharing wards with the general surgery department and gradually established the present neurosurgery unit. In 1996, Dr Johari Adnan Siregar took over as head of the department (Figure 40). He successfully transformed the department into a well-established regional referral centre equipped with modern facilities that included a state-of-the-art brain suite intraoperative CT.
Dr Noor Azman A Rahman @ Mohd took over as head of the department in 2016 when Dr Johari Siregar Adnan was transferred back to HKL. Dr Noor Azman A Rahman @ Mohd is a local graduate with a Master of Surgery UKM and completed his neurosurgery training with a fellowship in Melbourne under Dr Andrew Kaye in 2005. He managed to increase the number of staff members and expand the services to respond to the current demand. The department also emerged as a major neurosurgical training centre for the Master of Neurosurgery USM with regular training courses and scientific seminars (Figure 49). Together with Dr Noor Azman A Rahman @ Mohd (Figure 50A), the department has a complement of eight neurosurgeons, including Dr Sharon Theophilus ( Figure 50B), who is the first locally-trained female neurosurgeon under the Master of Neurosurgery USM, Dr Chan Chee Kong ( Figure  50C), Dr Asma Mohamad Afifi ( Figure 50D), Dr Rakesh Rethinasamy (Figure 50E), Dr Tan Zi Han ( Figure 50F), Dr Saravanan a/l Sridharan ( Figure 50G) and Dr Nurshaheda Mohd Salleh ( Figure 50H).
The private sector also plays an active role in providing neurosurgical service, starting with Dr Ahmad Khan since 1989. There are currently five other young neurosurgeons practicing in different private hospitals in Johor Bahru ( Figure  51). Three of them, Dr Ashraf Sharifuddin ( Figure 51C), Dr Ariz Chong Abdullah ( Figure  51E) and Dr Risdhawati Hassan ( Figure 51F), also trained under the Master of Neurosurgery USM programme. They had previously worked at Hospital Sultanah Aminah for a few years before embarking into private practice.

Neurosurgery in Negeri Sembilan
Neurosurgery service was first available in Negeri Sembilan when Dr Mohd Hafiz Mohamad Zain ( Figure 52A) joined KPJ Seremban Specialist Hospital in the private sector in June 2013. Dr Mohd Hafiz is a local USM graduate. He worked at IKTAR HKL prior to embarking into private practice. Neurosurgical service began in the government sector when Dr Rahmat Harun @Haron was posted to Hospital Tuanku Ja'afar, Seremban (HTJS) in May 2016 ( Figure 52B). At that time, there were no trained neurosurgical nurses or technicians. Neurosurgical procedures and services are under the umbrella of the Department of General Surgery. Dr Rahmat Harun @Haron managed to borrow some equipment, including the operating microscope and brain retractor system (DORO LUNA) and trained the operating theatre staff (Figure 53). In April 2018, Dr Rahmat Harun @Haron was joined by Dr Faizul Hizal Ghazali who is also a USM graduate (Figures 52C and 54A). Since that time, services have expanded, and it is now able to accept neurosurgical trainees and organise courses. The first neurosurgical course in Negeri Sembilan was conducted on 30 September 2019 titled 'Redflag of Neurosurgery in Negeri Sembilan' (Figure 54B).

Neurosurgery in Pulau Pinang
Pulau Pinang was the first state outside Kuala Lumpur to acquire the services of a neurosurgeon when Dr Swaran Singh Khera (Figure 15), one of the local pioneers trained by Dr Roy Clifton Selby (Figure 11 Figure 64B). In the private sector, after the demise of the late Dr Anil a/l K Sivasankaran ( Figure 65A), there has been only one  Figure  65B).

Neurosurgery in Pahang
Neurosurgery service was first available

Neurosurgery in Terengganu
Neurosurgery services under the MOH officially started on 30 March 2011 in the state of Terengganu when Dr Nujaimin Udin ( Figure 69A) was appointed as the head of the Neurosurgery Department in Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah (HSNZ), Kuala Trengganu. Prior to that, neurosurgical cases were largely managed by general surgeons with consultation from Dr Ahmad Zubaidi Abdul Latif (Figure 39), professor and consulting neurosurgeon from the Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UNISZA). Dr Nujaimin Udin is a local USM graduate. He is currently assisted by two female neurosurgeons, also USM graduates -Dr Jacintha Vikeneswary Francis ( Figure 69B) and Dr Shukriyah Sulong ( Figure 69C). The department has conducted

Neurosurgery in Sarawak
The neurosurgical service in Sarawak began following the arrival of Professor Torao Fuji at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) on 9 April 1988, under the auspices of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Professor Torao Fuji brought along not only his personal expertise, but also generous donations from his government of essential neurosurgical equipment, including an operating microscope, a craniotomy drill, an operating table and microsurgical instruments, to name just a few. The emergency service of the Accident and Emergency Department also benefited from the donation of an ambulance. Professor Torao Fuji left on 2 April 1990. He was succeeded by Professor Yuji Asou ( Figure 71A) who served SGH from 18 August 1992 to 16 August 1994. Professor Yuji Asou returned again to serve another two-year term from 1996 to 1998. These two unassuming professors from Japan were pioneers in neurosurgery who laid the foundation for neurosurgery in Sarawak. Their services and contributions shall be remembered forever.
Upon his return from training in the Institute of Neurosciences, Glasgow, Scotland, and in Cambridge, England, Dr Ching Hin San ( Figure 71B Over the last 20 years, the department has been academically oriented, producing 19 scientific papers in various national and international journals on topics ranging from cerebral aneurysm, acoustic neuroma and carpal tunnel syndrome. It also reported the first case of a brain stem auditory implant in Malaysia. The neurosurgical service expanded to other  Figure 75D), Dr Prabu Rau a/l Sriram ( Figure  75E), Dr Vinodh a/l Vayara Perumall ( Figure  75F) and Dr Ramissh Paramasivam ( Figure  75G). Dr Prabu Rau was sent to Oxford, UK and returned after completing his fellowship in Skull Base and Pediatric Neurosurgery in Oxford University Hospital. The department was named Sabah Brain and Spine Centre in August 2019 as a unified name for the departments of neurosurgery in all three hospitals in Kota Kinabalu and in recognition of the excellent services provided to the state. Currently, modern neurosurgical equipment and operating facilities have actively been made available to support maximum care to patients. The department is active in teaching and training and plays an important role in the Master of Neurosurgery USM postgraduate programme. To date, it has produced six local neurosurgeons and has taken in eight international doctors for clinical attachment. The department currently has six neurosurgeons and six trainee residents. They visit clinics in remote hospitals and provide flying neurosurgical operative services to hospitals such as Lahad Datu, Sandakan, Tawau, Labuan and Keningau. This is the regional referral centre for a population of almost four million people served. There are active research activities with several one neurosurgeon in private practice, Dr Adrian Ng Wei Chih ( Figure 74B), currently at the Borneo Medical Centre.

Neurosurgery in Sabah
The first neurosurgery unit in Sabah was officially established at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (HQE) in February 2003. The unit was headed by Dr Pulivendhan Sellamuthu ( Figure 75A), who was trained in the UK and obtained his FRCS at Edinburgh. He was trained in neuro-spine surgery at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge. At the time of its formation, the department's total strength was one neurosurgeon with two medical officers and two medical assistants.  On becoming a voting member society of the WFNS, the NAM actively participated in WFNS activities fostering bidirectional exchange of gone on to successfully organise numerous courses, seminars, workshops, and conferences on national, regional, and international platforms. NAM's initiatives on the national level soon came to the fore, with particular emphasis on neurosurgical training. NAM then embarked on organising conferences on international platforms. During the presidency of Dr Chee, Malaysia hosted the 8th Asian Congress of Neurological Surgeons (ACNS) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This was the first international neurosurgical event of such magnitude organised and hosted by NAM. The event attracted the participation of more than 500 regional and international delegates. In addition to firmly establishing the society's capability and distinction in organising a major meeting that was well appraised for its organisation and scientific content, the financial proceedings from this meeting contributed significantly to the coffers of the NAM and ensured its financial security and independence.
The administration of Dr Yoong Meow Foong saw the consolidation and further unification of various cohorts of the neurosurgical fraternity in Malaysia. This administration saw the beginning of a greater-than-linear increase in the number of neurosurgeons in Malaysia. Dr Yoong Meow Foong encouraged and supported the establishment of more neurosurgical training programmes. Dr Mohammed Saffari Haspani was elected president in August 2015. This administration was marked by a heterogeneous mix of committee members on the executive committee of the NAM. Office holders hailed from various cohorts of the neurosurgical fraternity -the MOH, private practitioners and the universities -with varying degrees of seniority. The Mohammed Saffari Haspani administration saw an exponential increase in the number of neurosurgeons in Malaysia. After a long hiatus, a combined neurology and neurosurgery conference titled 'My neuroreconnecting the synapses' was held in August 2017. The conference enjoyed the participation of more than 924 delegates from the neuroscience's community of Malaysia, which was the largest gathering to date of local neurologists and neurosurgeons. The event cemented the camaraderie between neurophysicians and ophthalmologists in Malaysia.
Dr Hari Chandran became the sixth president of the NAM on 12 August 2017. His presidency heralded the ascension and collaborative and mutually beneficial educational offerings. The first initiative was the WFNS Teaching Course, which was conducted in Kuala Lumpur in June 2003. The organisational task was entrusted to Dr Vicknes Waran and his UM team. This meeting attracted the participation of several prominent personalities and was the first of several WFNS teaching courses to follow. It saw the beginning of focused teaching with an emphasis on subspecialty topics, including paediatric neurosurgery and stereotactic radiosurgery. The post educational evenings included interaction and the exchange of ideas and innovations between senior members of the fraternity on the development of neurosurgery and neurosurgical education.
The NAM administration has had a succession of six further presidents to date, each of whose administrative terms comprised respective areas' emphasis and niche developments. Dr Fadzli Cheah Abdullah succeeded Dato' Dr Nadasan Arumugasamy as the second president of NAM following the third AGM on 18 May 2003. He was president for two terms to 2007. The administration by Dr Fadzli Cheah Abdullah oversaw the escalation and formalisation of neurosurgical training in Malaysia. The first batch of the Masters of Neurosurgery programme established at the USM graduated, giving the fraternity its first intake of fully locally trained neurosurgeons. His term also saw the success of the parallel pathway of the neurosurgical training programme at UM. In August 2002, Dr Vicknes Waran established a parallel training pathway for neurosurgical trainees at UM. Aspirants with a postgraduate qualification in general surgery, either a Master in Surgery or an FRCS (general surgery), were enrolled in a matching programme that entailed three years of training at UM, followed by a twoto three-year stint in an accredited training post in the UK or Ireland, culminating in the FRCS (Neurosurgery).
The office of the president was subsequently  and recommendations of practice and patient care. With its links and broad web of networking globally, training and advancement are ever at the fore. There is zero tolerance for compromises in training and patient care.