France honours virologist

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Lam Sai Kit, who discovered the Nipah virus, was conferred the Officier de l’Ordre National du Merite (National Order of Merit) by the French Embassy here last night.
The award Dr Lam received is one of the most prestigious honours conferred by the French Government.
Ipoh-born Dr Lam, 68, is one of the most influential figures in medical virology and despite having retired three years ago, is actively involved in his field as president of the Asia Pacific Society for Medical Virology.
He is also a member of the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) International Advisory Council and is working on forging links between Utar and France in the field of higher education.
After receiving the award from French Ambassador to Malaysia Alain du Boispean at his residence, Dr Lam gave a toast to his friends and family with “yam seng!” in Cantonese.
Du Boispean said: “Your prominent role in medical research and scientific cooperation, recognised worldwide, explains why the President of France decides to distinguish your valuable cooperation between the two countries.”
Dr Lam described as “very stressed” the long hours he spent at the high bio-safety laboratory when he worked to find solutions to fatal infectious viral diseases, especially when there was an outbreak. “This is because it was a life and death situation.”
On why he had stayed in the field, he said: “I enjoy my work. It’s worth risking (my) life because it’s for humanity.”
In 1997, an encephalitis outbreak occurred in Malaysia and many had thought it was Japanese Encephalitis but Dr Lam and Dr Chua Kaw Bing later isolated a new virus – Nipah.
Dr Lam has also contributed much to the discovery of EV 71 and echovirus 7 for the control of hand, foot and mouth disease and the Chikungunya virus as a cause of dengue-like illness with arthritis in 1998.