President’s Message
Associate Professor Capt. Dr. John Shia Kwong Siew DVM, PhD
Salam Sejahtera dan Salam Malaysia Madani.
My warmest congratulations to our newly elected Executive Committee 2025-2027, and heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined our 30th Annual General Meeting on 11 September 2025 at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre.
Over the past two years, we told one story of capacity building, ethics, and community. Among our milestones are the inaugural LASAM International Conference (8–9 May 2024, Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur); the LASAM Scientific Seminar & 29th AGM (24 September 2024, Bangi Avenue Convention Centre); the 1st Asia Laboratory Animal Day (29 November 2024, LAFAM UiTM Puncak Alam); our first Rodent Imaging Workshop (29 July 2025, LAFAM UiTM Puncak Alam); the LASAM IACUC Workshop (9–10 September 2025, PICC); and soon after that the LASAM Scientific Seminar & 30th AGM (11 September 2025, PICC).
My dear members and friends, a durable culture of animal science rests on three pillars:
1. Ethical responsibility. Ethical oversight is not a barrier; it is an enabler of good science. Protocol review, post-approval monitoring, and facility inspections protect animal welfare and the credibility of our research.
2. Scientific rigour. Design, power, data integrity, and reproducibility matter. Frameworks such as ARRIVE strengthen transparency and maximise the value of every study.
3. Compassionate practice. Whether working with rodents, rabbits, fish, or non-traditional species, compassion must remain central; humane endpoints must be used in practice, analgesia delivered, and people properly trained.
Thus, “Ethics in Practice, Science with Impact” will be our North Star for 2025–2027.
To our outgoing committee colleagues, including those not returned this term, please accept our deepest appreciation. Your time, expertise, and countless quiet hours made a real difference. We still need you as mentors, trainers, and reviewers; LASAM is always your home.
Thank you, members, for the trust you have placed in me to lead LASAM for the next two years. I will serve with humility and accountability, and deliver with our North Star in view.
Let’s make the next chapter count.