Nation’s pride: Justin flying the Jalur Gemilang in Antarctica. — Photo courtesy of Universiti Malaysia Sabah
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah paid tribute to its very own Prof Dr Justin Sentian, who became the first Malaysian to conduct research in Antarctica, the world’s iciest continent.
“What makes it even more special is that the Sabah flag (along with the Malaysian flag) was also flown in Antarctica,” said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
The Ranau-born Prof Justin, who is an atmospheric scientist, arrived home in Malaysia in October last year after conducting a seven-month research on climate change.
Yesterday, Prof Justin, who is with Universiti Malaysia Sabah’s (UMS) Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, paid a courtesy call on Hajiji at his office here.
Also present were UMS assistant vice-chancellor (strategic) Prof Dr Mohammad Saffree Jeffree and Sultan Mizan Antarctic Research Foundation chief executive officer Abd Shukor Jamaluddin.
In a symbolic gesture to mark the successful completion of the research expedition, Prof Justin returned the Sabah flag that Hajiji had presented to him on March 10 last year before he left for his research trip.
“Well done and congratulations to Prof Justin. His achievement makes us very proud,” Hajiji said in a statement later yesterday.
Prof Justin had carried out the research at the Julio Escudero Station on King George Island of Chile.
The expedition, the first of its kind, was organised by Sultan Mizan Antarctica Research Foundation with the Antarctic Research Institute of Chile (Instituto Antártico Chileno).
Prof Justin was given a RM150,000 special research grant by the foundation for a research project related to climate change.
When he returned home last year, he had shared about the challenges he faced during the expedition.
“There were times when the air temperature reached -44°C and the wind speed of 120kph that triggered snowstorms,” he was quoted as saying.
He had also voiced hope that the results of his research would have an impact on the understanding of ozone variations and hydrocarbon and halocarbon species in extreme winter.
Halocarbons are greenhouse gases that can contribute to climate change.
