Monday, March 23, 2020

After the Long Pause, the Long Break

Have not been posting here for more than two months. However with many things happening, I thought I should restart so that I can make some records in this blog of important things happening. During the long pause, went through ups and downs, do some soul-searching but after awhile one just need to move on and tries one's best for the future. Below, I'll jot down in point form some main events that have passed.
  • January 16: Quantum Yi-Jing Sdn Bhd agreed to contribute financially to cover EQuaLS expenses.
  • January 17: Presented a talk on Mathematical Routes to Quantum Theory in INSPEM Weekly Seminar, a regular weekly event of the institute. Have always thought that one should attach more importance to this event.
  • January 20: Discussed on how to revamp our courses including that of quantum mechanics. Thinking of three-part course. Others, a course on quantum information science (advanced undergraduate or postgraduate)

  • January 23: Started to be concerned of the Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak since we have an international event EQuaLS2020 planned.
  • January 24: Shocked to know that school colleague, Prof. Dato' Mashitah Mohd Yusoff (former Deputy Vice-Chancellor of University Malaysia Pahang) passed away due to cancer. Didn't know she had the illness.

  • January 25: Wuhan Coronavirus arrived in Malaysia with three confirmed cases from tourists of China.
  • January 29: Dr. Athirah's PhD student Suzila Mohd Kasim viva examination. Her work is on commuting graphs of finite groups.
  • January 30: My son and my other half rescued a kitten from a drain. Later to be our new furry family member Koko

  • January 31: WHO declared China's virus outbreak an international emergency.
  • Within January, had several episodes of back pain. Was worried about EQuaLS planning, whether we have enough time or not. Sometime in January, we had postponed the event from February to March 2020. Also, all the while, was following the Wuhan virus outbreak.
  • February 2: Sent my other half to the airport as she went for umrah with her sister's family. So it was then me, the eldest, my third son (still in semester holiday) and the youngest. My second son is already working in Pulau Indah.


  • February 3: Finally received message from my other half in Medina. They are safe and well there.
  • February 7: My other half now in Mecca.




  • February 5: Made some decisions on what to teach for Advanced Mathematical Physics this upcoming semester. See circled region below.

  • February 9: Send back my third son to college in IIUM, leaving myself, my eldest and the youngest.
  • February 10: The new semester starts. I'm teaching 'Special Relativity & Classical Field Theory' and 'Advanced Mathematical Physics'.
  • February 11: Decided to use Szekeres' book "A Course in Modern Mathematical Physics" as a guide.
  • February 13: My other half came back home from her umrah. Was having cough and slight fever.
  • February 15: Update my graduate course notes as blog posts in Ketchup Spills.
  • February 17: Finally received the formal green light from ICTP (Kate Shaw) for our EQuaLS2020. Thus it will be part of Physics Without Frontiers program at Malaysia.
  • February 18: Went to INSPEM workshop at Zenith Hotel Putrajaya.
  • February 19: Attended a farewell gathering for me as INSPEM Deputy Director. Currently Dr. Rezal is taking up the duties of the Director. Still can't understand why there is no appointment of a new director. Some photos.









  • February 20: Final Skype meeting with Kate Shaw from ICTP. ICTP put up a website for EQuaLS2020 at http://indico.ictp.it/event/9329/overview
  • February 21: Start making my own preliminary announcement of EQuaLS2020. Still has issue of one more speaker and Areeya's flight out of Australia (due to Covid19 outbreak).
  • February 22: Went to Ismail Budin's son's wedding. Met school-mates there.







  • March 6: We have started discussing internally whether one should continue EQuaLS2020 when there was already an increase of Covid-19 infection in Malaysia from the Tabligh cluster. See https://www.outbreak.my/. At the time we already had 34 participants. The decision then was to continue with precautionary measures and we had the green light from the university's Health Centre. Was following the development of the outbreak since then. At this stage, I was also look at how other events are being held and looked for consistency.
  • March 10: Had our last meeting for EQuaLS2020. Explain rationale of continuing and if there are any other concerns, should be discussed with me.
  • March 11: Received concerns by the institute management of EQuaLS2020. Felt being sabotaged. Had to take the day off as my other half went for a heart check-up.
  • March 12: Finalised EQuaLS2020 programme. The last day will have a forum on Quantum Information Science in South-East Asia. Afternoon: M.Sc. viva examination for Dr. Chan's first graduate student, Mohamad Hanif.

  • March 13: All speakers have booked their flights and have given their itineraries. In the afternoon, members of the Department raised concern on EQuaLS2020. Finally before the office hours end, we receive instruction from the university to halt all activities irrespective the size of the gathering (ours was just a normal class size). My heart sank and finally gave up. Emailed speakers thereafter asking them not to board their flights (which was just on the coming Sunday). This will probably be my last attempt - will now pass the baton to my younger colleagues.




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