First Admiral Dr Najhan Md Said, the deputy commander of the Royal Malaysian Navy Eastern Fleet, has been chosen as the vice-chairman of the Sub-Committee Undersea Features Name (SCUFN) for the 2024-2028 term. This decision was made during the 36th meeting of SCUFN in Wollongong, Australia.
The appointment of Najhan was determined through a vote involving 12 permanent members from various countries, indicating the high esteem in which the navy and the country are held internationally, particularly in the realms of hydrography and oceanography. The Naval Headquarters Strategic Communication branch announced this on Sunday (Nov 12).
Aside from Malaysia, the other 11 permanent members hail from the United States, Australia, Brazil, China, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, South Korea, Mexico, and New Zealand.
Najhan was elected after receiving 10 votes, triumphing over Dr Li Sihai from China and Dr Yasuhiko Ohara from Japan, who was elected the chairman, according to the statement. SCUFN is a committee under the aegis of the International Hydrographic Organisation and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and is responsible for reviewing, approving, and standardising geographic terms and ocean floor features submitted by member countries to be officially gazetted in the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans database.
This database is the official undersea feature names database for the publication of world marine charts and atlases, and any production of marine geological studies must refer to the official name gazetted in the database.
