Dato’ Dr Ahmad Faizal is the president of Mercy Malaysia, joining its ranks as a humble volunteer and eventually finding his way to the upper echelons, writes Tien Chew.

Not all doctors are created equal, yet they have a common undeniable quality that links them together as a group of professionals. While most would no doubt quickly identify such trait as intelligence, the characteristic that comes to mind falls more on the lines of compassion. 

Most doctors study medicine because they believe in helping others. They undergo rigorous training and studies to make their ambitions materialise. Dato’ Dr Ahmad Faizal Mohd Perdaus is one such individual who possesses a benevolent heart as well as the intellectual capabilities in pursuing a career in medicine.


(Dato’ Dr Ahmad Faizal Mohd Perdaus, President of Mercy Malaysia)

His academic history is indeed an impressive one, including his attendance to many prestigious schools around the country. The young Dato’ Faizal had always wanted to do something people-related and he ultimately achieved his desire by getting involved with a humanitarian organisation.

A specialist in internal medicine, the amiable doctor joined Mercy Malaysia in 2003, a young nonprofit volunteer relief organisation that focuses on providing medical and humanitarian services locally and abroad. “I joined with a group of friends who just so happened to be lecturers at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. I guess you could call it fate if you believe in that,” says Dato’ Faizal. 

He asserts that the success of Mercy Malaysia as an NGO all boils down to the timing of its creation and when it was introduced. “If Tan Sri Jemilah Mahmood had gone to Kosovo in 1989 instead of 1999, Mercy Malaysia would not have been what it is today because at that time the people, the country and the critical mass weren’t ready yet.

"We were not the first organisation to do humanitarian work but it was the first time that there was a resonance if not all but within some segments of society,” adds Dato’ Faizal. His keen insight into the organisation’s goals and origins shed some light on not only his ability to critically analyse past occurrences but also revealed his farsighted nature at the same time.

In his eyes, Mercy Malaysia is in a very unique position due to its background of mixed Malaysian cultures and ethnicities. “Mercy Malaysia is one of the few NGOs that has an acceptable non-belligerent status. It is unique because it is neither Western nor is it perceived to be faith based or an Islamic organisation although it comes from a Muslim majority country,” says Dato’ Faizal.

Thanks to its distinct status as a widely accepted humanitarian organisation in many parts of the world, the NGO is able to reach out to more people than its Western counterparts.


(Dato' Dr Ahmad Faizal attending to a patient at one of the hospitals in Aleppo)

He officially became the president in August 2009 after being with the organisation for six years and seven months. As the current acting president, Dato’ Faizal’s duties mostly revolve around the works and modus operandi of the organisation and building the brand, name, image, perception and trust of the institution.

He understood the importance of constructing the two aforementioned pillars even before he assumed his current role, for he and a handful of people on the council managed to identify a dire problem in the organisation. 

Mercy Malaysia’s previous president and founder Tan Sri Jemilah Mahmood, had a reputation of being synonymous with the NGO. One of Dato’ Faizal’s major aspirations when he took up the presidential rein was to shed the organisation’s dependency factor on its key leaders since it is vital for organisational stability.

“Towards the end of 2008, we (in reference to the executive council) noticed that the organisation had become too dependent on Tan Sri Jemilah. This was good but at the same time it was not so positive for the development of the organisation as a whole because the stability of the entity was based solely on one person. To make matters worse, we knew that there were only a few of us besides her who had sufficient knowledge and expertise in running the organisation,” says Dato’ Faizal with certainty.

“If we had all left at the same time, the organisation would have died because there was no systematic download... no building of the institution,” he adds. Clearly this was an issue that required the collective mindset of academic individuals like himself and that of his council to rectify.


(Dato’ Dr Ahmad Faizal at Nepal for a relief mission)

He attributes this dependency issue to exponential growth within the organisation due in part to so many worldwide conflicts. To move away from being too dependent on the council, he opines that Mercy Malaysia needs to build and put in place sustainable systems and processes, which is still a work in progress.

This is to ensure that if and when any of its members leave, the organisation and everything it stands for would not crumble but instead remain stronger. 

Spending some time with Dato’ Faizal has revealed that he is a capable leader because he is a man who prioritises on principles. To him, doing the right thing the right way and for the right reasons is crucial. Although he acknowledges that people have imperfections, he believes that one should always strive to do his or her best, a sign of his own tenacious character.

While some might deem him to be a strict man, in all honesty he is generally easygoing, very open-minded and very accepting and tolerating of differences. He is very passionate and isn’t afraid to express his opinions should the need arise.

“If there was one word that I would use to preach, it is balance. It is very important for everyone to have that in their lives. Doctors should be well-rounded people, they should contribute to communities around them as well as save time for their families and themselves,” advocates the good doctor.

As the eldest of three siblings, Dato’ Faizal notes that it might be serendipitous and fortunate that the ability to lead had come to him early in life. That said, he believes that the ability to lead can be acquired, saying that there is a leader in every one of us if we work to bring the best out of ourselves.  

 

 

(Photos: Bonnie Yap and Mercy Malaysia)

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