Penang: An astronomy expert and renowned scholar in Islamic astronomy (falak), Datuk Dr Abdul Halim Abdul Aziz, has been named Penang's Maal Hijrah Personality in conjunction with the state-level Maal Hijrah 1447H celebrations today.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Abdul Halim, 67, a Penang native and former Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) lecturer in astronomy and x-ray crystallography, received the award from the Yang Dipertua Negeri of Penang, Tun Ramli Ngah Talib. The scholar was honored with a certificate of appreciation, a trophy, complimentary prizes, and RM10,000 cash.
The award came as a surprise to Abdul Halim, who expressed his gratitude, saying, "I'm truly touched and didn't expect to receive this award today, as I wasn't informed beforehand. Alhamdulillah, I'm grateful to Allah for this honour." He also committed to continuing his contributions to the field. As a member of the Falak Experts Panel under the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) and the Penang State Falak Committee, he has introduced a more accurate and inclusive multi-point method for calculating prayer times.
Abdul Halim explained that the new method, which was first implemented in Penang ten years ago, uses multiple points within a zone to determine the latest prayer time reference. This method has since been adopted by other states like Perak and Negeri Sembilan.
After retiring in 2018, Abdul Halim established the Lisafa Centre, aimed at providing lifelong learning opportunities for adults. The centre has partnered with the Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University in Indonesia to offer formal Islamic studies at the master's and doctoral levels to students from various fields.
Abdul Halim's academic journey began with A-Level studies at Hastings College of Further Education in the UK, followed by a Bachelor's degree at Lanchester Polytechnic.
During the ceremony, other notable figures were also recognized. Datuk Dr Mohamed Amir Shah Abdul Aziz, the medical director and senior oncologist at ICON Cancer Centre Malaysia, Island Hospital, received the Da'wah Icon Award, and Prof Dr Noor Inayah Yaakub, CEO and vice-chancellor of the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) International University College, was given the Special Award.