Kamal was a good friend and colleague whose interaction with me began in the early days of Universiti Sains Malaysia in the early 70s - at that time Universiti Pulau Pinang - to which both of us returned after postgraduate studies abroad.
He was more than the usual good friend or fellow academic. We were close neighbours with our better halves and children often running into each other and socialising more than our just being in the same neighbourhood.
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Back then, it was clear that Kamal was destined for higher achievements. Deservedly fast-tracked in the university administration, he quickly became the university’s deputy vice-chancellor owing to his intellectual and managerial abilities.
This was at a time when...