Dato' Nik, in conversation with Bal Krishna, Associate Editor, GIS Development, tells the story of the birth of MACRES, a story which has many twists and turns.
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The Malaysian Centre for Remote Sensing (MACRES) came into existence in the year 1988. Dato' Nik Nasruddin Mahmood the first and the present director of the great institution is widely acknowledged as the driving force behind the setting up of the Centre and making remote sensing technology a household name in Malaysia. His contributions have been recognised through many awards which have been bestowed upon him such as Dato' Paduka Seri Mahkota Kelantan by His Highness, The Sultan of the state of Kelantan in 2003, Dr Boon Indrabarya Gold Medal Award by The Remote Sensing and GIS Association of Thailand, 1999 (with citation: In recognition and appreciation for his great dedication, contribution and support to remote sensing for mankind), and Science and Technology Meritorious Service Award by ASEAN, 2001.
Born in a middle class family in 1950, in a town of Kota Baru in Malaysia, his father was a teacher who made sure that the child was brought up according to religious discipline. Since childhood he was given the lesson to be committed and do what he thought to be right. After a few years of schooling in Kota Baru, he moved to Kuala Lumpur where he studied from form six to University level.
The story of MACRES
Days at MARDI
With a degree in Geophysics from University of Malaya Dato' Nik went to the International Institute for Aerospace Studies and Earth Sciences (ITC), the Netherlands in 1974 where he did his Masters in Remote Sensing. On his return to Malaysia he continued his work at the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) as a researcher in Remote Sensing.
Many awards have been bestowed upon him such as Dato' Paduka Seri Mahkota Kelantan by His Highness, The Sultan of the state of Kelantan in 2003, Dr Boon Indrabarya Gold Medal Award by The Remote Sensing and GIS Association of Thailand, 1999
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In 1977, he put forward a proposal to the Government of Malaysia to set up a Centre for Remote Sensing. He recalls, "There were two occasions when funding was made available by funding agencies but on both the occasions I was not able to convince the higher authorities on the relevance of the technology for national development at that time. However, during that same period the National Remote Sensing Committee was set up in the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) of the Prime Ministers' Department where the members started to push Remote Sensing rather than Aerial Photography."
