He joins a select group of distinguished Australians in a committee that will help further strengthen and promote relations between Australia and Malaysia.
The chairman of the institute is barrister Michael Abbott QC, who has long-standing and active interest in Malaysia through his involvement with the Australia-Malaysia Cultural Foundation.
The other committee members are Paul McClintock, former secretary to the Australian cabinet; Prof Anthony Milner, of the Australian National University; Bob Cotton, former Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia; Dr Wendy Smith, from Monash University; Greg Sheridan, foreign editor of `The Australian'; and Kerry Adby, managing director of Copernican Securities Pty Ltd.
The institute will hold its inaugural meeting next month.
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, who announced the formation of the institute during Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's visit to Australia, said that it reflected Australia's long-standing links with Malaysia in business, education and culture.
It would focus on exchanges of young politicians, intellectuals and media representatives, as well as cultural exchanges.
Prof Tan, a former student of St John's Institution in Kuala Lumpur, is Professor of Paediatric Surgery at the University of Adelaide and director of the Department of Paediatric Surgery at the Women's and Children's Hospital in Adelaide.
Downer had said that the institute would make a significant contribution in deepening mutual understanding and cooperation.
During a lunch meeting in Sydney on Friday, Prof Tan drew the attention of Abdullah to the fact that there were more than 100,000 Malaysian-born living in Australia, and many were in senior academic and professional positions.
Prof tan said he believed many like himself were willing to contribute their skills and knowledge to Malaysia, but there was no forum existing for those willing to explore this.
He hopes that the Australia-Malaysia Institute would be instrumental in developing the framework for this to occur.
Prof Tan's appointment is a recognition of work he has been undertaking the past few years, especially in developing a memorandum of understanding between the Malaysian Government and the Adelaide Women's and Children's Hospital.
Health Minister Dr Chua Soi Lek, who witnessed the signing of a letter of intent between Malaysia and Prof Tan's hospital, stated that the Government was building a women's and children's hospital within the Kuala Lumpur Hospital, and the Adelaide Women's and Children's Hospital was "a well-known paediatric centre, which could offer proper training to our doctors."
Prof Tan is a world authority on keyhole surgery and has developed many new methods to perform major operations through tiny puncture holes instead of making a large surgical cut.
He has also visited Kuching on several occasions in the past two years after he was approached by the Sarawak Government to help develop a centre for keyhole surgery.
He has also saved the lives of several young Malaysians in the past few years.
-- BERNAMA
Once again we are hearing of another Malaysian-born doing great work and getting recognised for it. Once gaain another loss to Malaysia and a gain to another nation. i wonder whether this came as a surprise to Pak Lah, Prof Tan of keyhole surgery fame told Pak Lah that there were more than 100,000 Malaysian-born living in Australia, and many were in senior academic and professional positions. Prof Tan also said that he believed many like himself were willing to contribute their skills and knowledge to Malaysia, but there was no forum existing for those willing to explore this. So do not be surprised when we next hear of "another Malaysian-born gets recognition" in some far away land.
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