Starting off ISAR 2024 with the Welcome Address, Keynote Address, Special Address and the Inaugural Address
CHIEF OF ROYAL MALAYSIAN AIR FORCE
General Dato’ Sri Hj Affendi joined the Malaysian Armed Forces as an RMAF Officer Cadet in 1980 and received his basic training at the Officer Cadet School, Sebatang Kara, Port Dickson. In 1981, he was selected to undergo Basic Flying Training at RMAF Alor Setar and upon completion was commissioned into the Royal Malaysian Air Force as a Second Lieutenant in 1982. Based on his knowledge, skill and attitude as well as temerity and maturity, General Dato’ Sri Hj Affendi was posted to No 3 Flying Training Center in RMAF Kuantan for hisinitial jet conversion on the MB-339A.
The knowledge, skill and attitude gained by General Dato’ Sri Hj Affendi was further developed and enhanced by his experiences at various staff and command positions at the tactical, operational and later strategic level. From 1997 to 2002, he was posted to No 1 Air Division, initially as Staff Officer 2 Standards, Safety and Readiness and later as Staff Officer 1 Fighter Operations. In this capacity, General Dato’ Sri Hj Affendi was responsible for the overall operational readiness and competency of the RMAF fighter aircrew. Upon returning from his one year studies in Australia, General Dato’ Sri Hj Affendi was posted back on September 2011 once again as the Director General for Operations and Exercises at the RMAF Air Operations Command and subsequently was promoted in that post as Major General RMAF in 2013.
Vice Admiral Maritime Dato’ Indera Mohd Taha Bin Ibrahim was born in Johore, Malaysia in 1958. He joined Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) in 1977 and commissioned as Acting Sub-Lieutenant in 1980. He is a graduate of National University of Malaysia, where he earned a Master Degree in Strategic Studies.
Dato Indera Mohd Taha has served on several classes of ships in RMN. He also served as Commanding Officer of KD BAUNG and KD SRI INDERAPURA. He is one of the experts in ‘Navigation’. His last position in RMN was as a Chief of Staff at HQ of Naval Region One, Kuantan.
Vice Admiral Dato Indera Taha joined MMEA in June 2006 after serving 29 years in RMN. In MMEA, he has served as Director of Enforcement & Exercise Branch, Director of C3I Branch (Command, Control, Communication and Information), Director of Sabah & Labuan Maritime Region and Director of Maritime Academy Sultan Ahmad Shah (AMSAS).
From December 2016, he held the job of Deputy Director General (Logistics) till Jun 2017 and later he was appointed as Deputy Director General (Operations).
Vice Admiral Pradeep Chauhan is a Director of National Maritime Foundation, New Delhi, India. He is an alumnus of india’s Premier National Defence Academy at Khadavasala, the Defence Services Staff College at Karanja in Mumbai and the prestigious National Defence College, India at New Delhi. Admiral Chauhan has over 35 years of rich and varied experience in the Indian Navy. In his seagoing career, he has been singularly privileged to have held command of the Indian Navy’s frontline surce-combatants on four occasions. He has been instrumental in the conceptualisation and proving of tactics-of-war for the Indian Navy and has been the principal director in the Directorate of Naval Operations at Naval Headquarters, New Delhi.
A Navigation and Direction specialist, he commanded the aircraft carrier INS Viraat. He was also part of the Fourth Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica. Shore postings include among others heading the Naval Training Team at Defence Services Staff College, and Principal Director Naval Operations at Naval Headquarters. Admiral Chauhan was appointed as the first Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Foreign Cooperation and Intelligence). Upon his promotion as a rear admiral in 2005, he was tasked with setting up a new and vibrant organisational structure at New Delhi that has given a great fillip to both Naval Foreign Cooperation as well as Intelligence. He was promoted to the rank of vice admiral in 2009 and took over as the Chief of Staff of the Western Naval Command in August 2009. He is a recipient of the Vishisht Seva Medal and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.
8 Plenary sessions with multiple expert speakers from worldwide
Suzanna Razali Chan is the Senior Assistant Director, Search & Rescue Department, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA). She has more than 10 years experience as a Maritime Enforcer and currently is a Maritime Search and Rescue instructor in the MMEA. She is pursuing her PhD in Maritime Safety studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam. She is a member of the Transportation Science Society of Malaysia (TSSM). Her research interest is in maritime accidents and maritime safety.
Major General Dato’ Zahani bin Zainal Abidin RMAF is Chief of Staff, Air Operation Command Headquarters, Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF). He was born in Johor, Malaysia on 16th September 1967. Major General Dato’ Zahani was commissioned in 30th July 1988. He underwent basic and advance aviation course in 1989 at the No 3 Flying Training Centre, RMAF College.
Major General Dato’ Zahani is a fighter pilot with more than 3500 flight hours, primarily in the Hawk Mk108 and F/A-18D Hornet. He has held a variety of flying, staff and command assignments, including as the No 18 Squadron (F/A-18D Hornet) Commanding Officer, Gong Kedak Air Base Commanding Officer, Director of Operation and Director of Operational Readiness Department at Air Operation Command Headquarter.
He also holds a Master Degree in Management Defence Studies from University of Canberra, Master Degree of Science in National Security and Warfare Studies from National Defence University Pakistan, Master in Social Science and Defence Studies from Malaysian Armed Forces Defence College and a Diploma in Management and Defence Studies (Canberra).
For his contributions and dedication of service to the country, Major General Dato’ Zahani was awarded the honorary titles Darjah Indera Mahkota Pahang (DIMP) by the Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan of Pahang which carries the title Dato’. Major General Dato’ Zahani is married to Datin Lynette binti Mohamed and blessed with two daughters.
Udo is a Master Mariner, and a Master of Business Administration. He has been Executive Director of the German Maritime SAR Service (DGzRS) since 2001, and before that Chief of the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre at Bremen. He has done much work at, and on behalf of, the IMO and the EU, and is a Visiting Professor at the World Maritime University.
First Admiral Dato’ Chin Yoon Chin (R) hails from the state of Kedah, and graduated from the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth in the United Kingdom where he underwent his basic naval training. During his tenure in the Armed Forces he attended two professional development courses at the Malaysian Armed Forces Staff and Defence Colleges and graduated from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), Monterey, California, USA with a Master of Arts in Security Studies Majoring in Post Conflict Reconstruction.
First Admiral Dato’ Chin Yoon Chin (R) joined MIMA as the Director General on 1st Dec 2014. Prior to that, he served as an Executive Officer in the Royal Malaysian Navy for over 40 years. During his career in the RMN, he held various seagoing and staff appointments. He had four commands including as Commanding Officer of RMN Tactical Center in 2012. As for sea commands, he served as Squadron Commander of the 21st Frigate Squadron and Commanding Officer of KD Rahmat in 1995. Among his notable staff appointments were Chief of Staff Fleet HQ, Head of Management and Coordination of the Malaysian Armed Forces Staff College, Assistant Chief of Staff Warfare Fleet HQ, Assistant Chief of Staff Readiness Fleet HQ, Executive Officer and PWO KD LEKIR, and Staff Officer at the Navy HQ. Prior to his retirement he was the Chief of Staff at Fleet Headquarters.
He has also lectured in various fields, namely, wargaming technique, command at sea, and warfare-related subjects at advanced officer courses and other Armed Forces institutions. He has contributed to RMN publications and other Malaysian Armed Forces Journals as well as co-edited a book on “Ops Fajar”. As Director General of MIMA, he gives talks and chairs sessions on security and diplomacy issues in the country and at major international maritime conferences as well as guides the institute’s efforts in producing various maritime policy reports and MIMA publications.
In recognition of this services, First Admiral Dato’ Chin Yoon Chin (R) was awarded the Pahlawan Angkatan Tentera (PAT), Setia DiRaja Kedah (SDK), Kesatria Angkatan Tentera (KAT), Kesatuan Mangku Negara (KMN), Ahli Mahkota Kedah (AMK) and Darjah Setia DiRaja Kedah (DSDK) by His Highness the Sultan of Kedah, an award which carries the title Dato’. He is married to Datin Ooi Aye Choo and is blessed with three daughters and a son. He is also a proud grandparent to six beautiful granddaughters. In his free time, First Admiral Dato’ Chin Yoon Chin (R)plays badminton and indulges in gardening.
Lieutenant Commander Shahrul Adi Nor Basha RMN joined the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) as a Cadet Officer in the Officer’s Faculty, RMN College in May 2003. He was then selected for four years Naval Academy Program in France prior to his specialization training as Submarine Warfare Officer in French Navy Officers Specialization School (CIN St Mandrier) in 2007.
Lt Cdr Shahrul has served on various ashore as well as seagoing appointments. His first appointment was aboard a Laksamana Class (former Assad Class) Corvette, KD LAKSAMANA MUHAMMAD AMIN as Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer. A submariner by trade, he served aboard RMN’s second submarine, KD TUN RAZAK as Communication Officer before being appointed as the Head of Operational Training Instructor in the RMN Submarine Training Centre. Currently, he is the Staff Officer Submarine Operation in RMN Headquarters.
Academically, Lt Cdr Shahrul possesses a Bachelor Degree in Engineering (Naval Science) and Master in Naval Science awarded by the French Naval Academy and most recently Master in Business Administration.
An alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, the College of Naval Warfare College and the International Visitor Leadership Programme, USA. Commodore R Seshadri Vasan has a distinguished career spanning over 34 years. His wide ranging appointments both at sea and shore including Command of warships, appointment in career borne wing of INS Vikrant, command of long range Maritime Reconnaissance / ASW squadron, member examiner of the Aircrew Categorisation and Standardisation Board (AIRCATS), Chief Staff Officcer (Operations) at Southern Naval Command, the premier training command of the Indian Navy. He commissioned a major naval air station INS Garuda on the west coast. As a Director at Naval Headquarters, he was responsible for Aviation Planning nad Acquisition.
He was also in charge of Air Operations and Training at NHQ. He was on the faculty for over two years at the prestigious Naval War College that trains senior level officers from all the three services. He was on deputation to Indian Coast Guard From 2000 to 2003 as the Eastern Regional Commander with maritime jurisdiction in the Bay of Bengal including the Indo Bangladesh maritime border and the Indo Sri Lanka maritime boundary. He was charged with the task of 14SR, EEZ survellaince, anti-piracy, Search and Rescue, anti-poaching and marine pollution prevention. During this time he was also responsible for advising the newly formed Coastal Security Group regarding training at sea.
Capt. Samir Mahdaly is a lecturer and Co- coordinator of Search and Rescue courses in the College of Maritime Transport and Technology. He serves, as an officer and captain on merchant ships from 1983 to 1994. Between 1995 to 2007 worked as an instructor in Saudi Arabia coast guard institute, he established Search and Rescue courses for officers on both management and operational levels. From 2007 tile now he is a lecturer in Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime, for navigation, cargo and search &Rescue courses.
Capt. Samir Mahdaly in 1991 holds master FG AASTMT Alexandria, in 2012 Master degree from AASTMT and 2015 register for doctorate at AASTMT in search and rescue. He has numbers of certificates in Personal survival & search and rescue training course, Proficiency in survival crafts, Fire prevention & firefighting training course and the theory & operation of GMDSS training course. Capt. Samir Mahdaly research activities concentrated on Search & rescue, he attend as speaker and published numbers of papers in different Conferences in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Germany from 2007 up to 2017 on SAR operations and Maritime Disaster Management.
Dr. Teo has managed ED-HPP for more than 12 years developing clinical capabilities and initiating specialty clinical services in Emergency Medicine. Currently, the ED-HPP manages more than 160,000 emergency admissions per year; has in excess of 30 medical officers, and more than 120 staff members in total. It is recognized as a training center for the MMed (Emergency Medicine), MMed (Gen Surgery) and MMed (Family Medicine)
programs, as well as for undergraduate medical students teaching from the Penang Medical College. It also manages a compulsory 4 month posting for house officers on training. The ED is also an accredited training center for nurses, paramedics and allied health professionals.
He also has managed the one of largest provider of emergency ambulance services in Malaysia; development of state-wide systems, coordination with other service providers, decentralized ambulance stations and centralized ambulance dispatch centers.
He is also part of the Core development team and medical advisor to the St John Ambulance EMAS project; a decentralized emergency ambulance station managed by St John Ambulance paramedics linked to the Emergency 999 system. Currently this service runs between 2000 – 3000 emergency ambulance runs each year. He is part of the team expanding MECC and prehospital care services in Klang Valley and beyond; part of development team for the expansion of emergency ambulance services.
Dr. Teo was also the Founder Medical Advisor to St John Ambulance ALPHA project; a specialty ambulance and aeromedical service. Currently this service runs in excess of 500 runs per year. Since 2003 he has also been the Chief Coordinator in charge of the development of the Basic Disaster Plan for Medical Services for State of Penang; encompassing the roles of the health services, hospital services from public government hospitals and private hospitals, all ambulance provider agencies and other first responder agencies.
Commodore S Shekhar, is a graduate of the National Defence Academy, Kharakwasla, and has qualified in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the Naval Engineering College, Lonavla, with a post graduate specialization in Electrical and Weapons System Engineering from the Naval Electrical and Weapons Systems Establishment, Jamnagar. He is also a graduate of the National Defence College, New Delhi and has an M (Phil) in Defence and Strategic Studies from the University of Madras.
Commodore Shekhar has specialized in Submarines, and has occupied various positions of increasing responsibility & authority in the Indian Navy including a diplomatic assignment at Moscow, Commanding Officer of INS Valsura, the Naval Electrical and Weapons Systems establishment, Joint Director, Submarine Acquisition at Naval Headquarters, and General Manager of Naval Dockyard, Mumbai.
After his voluntary retirement from the Navy in 1993, Commodore Shekhar has successfully transited to the corporate the world, and has held various positions of responsibility in diverse organizations.
During his professional career both in the Indian Navy and in the Private sector, Commodore Shekhar has been responsible for conceptualization, execution and management of high value multi-disciplinary projects both in India and abroad.
Commodore Shekhar is also concurrently:
Commodore Shekhar is a Qualified Interpreter in Russian language.
In recognition of his achievements and contributions in the field of Human Resources Development, Commodore Shekhar has been nominated to serve on several Governmental committees and organisations.
Xiao Yuehua, Senior Engineer, Wuhan Institute of Water Transportation Engineering, graduated from marine internal combustion engine and joined the ranks in 1983. He is currently Director of the East China Sea Rescue Bureau of the Ministry of Transport of China, and the International Symposium on Asia-Pacific Exchange and Cooperation in Maritime Life Support Alliance.
He previously served as Deputy Director of Fujian Maritime Affairs Bureau, Xiamen. Secretary of the Maritime Affairs Bureau, Deputy Director of the Donghai Rescue Bureau, Secretary of the Party Group. Mr. Xiao Yuehua, senior engineer, graduated from Wuhan Institute of Water Transport Engineering and started his work in 1983. Mr Xiao is currently the Director General of Donghai Rescue Bureau, Ministry of Transport of China and the director of IMRF Asia-Pacific Regional Center . Before his current position, he was the Deputy Director General of Fujian Maritime Safety Administration (MSA), Deputy Director General of Xiamen MSA and Deputy Director General of Donghai Rescue Bureau.
Xavier Castellanos was director of the Americas for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in September 2009 – based in Panama City, Panama. He was responsible for managing the IFRC’s humanitarian activities covering 35 countries throughout the continent. Starting August 2015 he become the Regional Director for Asia Pacific. He has more than three decades of experience working in emergency humanitarian emergencies and operations and in community development. He has also worked at various national and international institutions in public, private and non-governmental organizations.
He joined the Red Cross in 1981 as a volunteer in his hometown. Specializing in communication, with an emphasis in health, and as a television producer, he applied his knowledge by working with local communities, in the field of community education, disaster risk reduction and vulnerability reduction and leadership development and education. He joined IFRC in the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch, which caused severe damage in Central America in 1998, and worked on communication and public information. He later served on missions working in disaster risk management in numerous countries around the world and at the IFRC secretariat in Geneva.
He has also worked in the areas of international humanitarian law, volunteerism, strategic planning and training with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Born in Quito, Ecuador, he speaks Spanish and English.
Andrew Catterall is the Senior Rear Crew instructor at Cobham Helicopter Academy. He has been involved in Search and Rescue for over 25 years. Andrew began his flying career in 1989 when he joined the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and was posted to the Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft. After two tours he transferred to Search And Rescue Sea Kings, amassing some 3500 hours.
After various front line tours, he was selected as an Instructor and posted to the Sea King Operational Conversion Unit. After being appointed as Senior Rear Crew Instructor in 2011 he gained an A2 Instructor rating from the RAF Central Flying School and was invited to become the RAF SAR Standards and Evaluation Crewman.
When the Sea King was retired from service in 2015, Andrew worked as a consultant for the UK Civil Aviation Authority before joining Cobham Helicopter Services as an Instructor. Since joining he has worked in Trinidad and Tobago, Curacao and at RAF Valley where he trained Instructors for the RAF.
Awesome experience - MRO Workshop with 4 of the best
Mr. George Butler is the Passenger Vessel Safety for the United States Coast Guard, Fourteenth District out of Honolulu Hawaii. He oversees commercial vessel safety inspection and investigation issues, specializing in the prevention, planning and mitigation of passenger vessel emergencies and mass rescue operations in the Fourteenth District, an area nearly 12.2 million square miles of the Pacific. Mr. Butler is a native of St. Clair, Michigan. He graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Science and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Mr. Butler served 22 years of active duty in the Coast Guard prior to retiring in 2006 to take his current position, and has extensive experience in Maritime Safety, Environmental Protection, Mariner Licensing, Inspections and Port Safety and Security. Assignments throughout the United States during his combined 38 years of public service have included positions as Executive Officer, Chief of Port Operations, Marine Safety Inspector, Senior Inspector of Personnel and Contingency Planning Officer. Mr. Butler is a certified Master Exercise Practitioner and has developed a led several international MRO exercises and workshops. He was instrumental in assisting Palau and the Republic of Marshall Islands in the development of their national MRO plans and continues to work internationally in assisting nations develop their MRO preparedness.
Mr. Butler remains an active member of the Hawaiian Maritime Community for a total of 20 years and is a member of the Pacific Search and Rescue (PACSAR) steering committee, and a participating member of the Asia Pacific Heads of Maritime Safety Authority forum
After various front line tours, he was selected as an Instructor and posted to the Sea King Operational Conversion Unit. After being appointed as Senior Rear Crew Instructor in 2011 he gained an A2 Instructor rating from the RAF Central Flying School and was invited to become the RAF SAR Standards and Evaluation Crewman.
When the Sea King was retired from service in 2015, Andrew worked as a consultant for the UK Civil Aviation Authority before joining Cobham Helicopter Services as an Instructor. Since joining he has worked in Trinidad and Tobago, Curacao and at RAF Valley where he trained Instructors for the RAF.
Udo is a Master Mariner, and a Master of Business Administration. He has been Executive Director of the German Maritime SAR Service (DGzRS) since 2001, and before that Chief of the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre at Bremen. He has done much work at, and on behalf of, the IMO and the EU, and is a Visiting Professor at the World Maritime University.
Mr. Lee is the Passenger Vessel Safety Specialist for the 11th Coast Guard District. The position oversees mass rescue planning as well as marine safety regulatory matters for the U.S. and foreign passenger vessel industry. He assumed the position in 2007. He previously served as the Coast Guard’s Pacific Area Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Coordinator.
In 1991 he entered Coast Guard active duty service. His first assignment was the assistant coordinator for the Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety program in Alaska. His other assignments included Environmental Response Officer and Federal On-Scene Coordinator Representative overseeing numerous oil and hazardous chemical spill responses for the San Francisco Bay Delta Region; explosive cargo handling supervisor; and Marine Safety Office San Francisco Port Safety Branch Chief. In 2005 he deployed to the U.S. Gulf Region to assist with emergency response to Hurricane Katrina. He retired from the Coast Guard Reserves in 2012.
As a Coast Guard civilian his positions have included Commercial Fishing Vessel program coordinator for the Pacific Region. As the 11th District Coast Guard Passenger Vessel Safety Specialist/Mass Rescue Operations planner, he’s conducted a wide range of mass rescue exercises throughout California with foreign and domestic passenger vessels and major airlines. He’s also assisted with mass rescue exercises throughout the United States including the Arctic region. In 2010 he was temporarily assigned to the U.S. Gulf region’s response to the British Petroleum Deepwater Horizon oil spill cleanup. Mr. Rob Lee is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area and a graduate of the University of California at Davis. He is also a certified Exercise Developer through the U. S. Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Management Institute.
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