B. C. Shekhar

Tan Sri Dr B.C. Sekhar revolutionised and modernised Malaysia’s natural rubber industry and put the crop on the world map. He was fondly known as Mr Natural Rubber. He was also involved in the development of the nation's palm oil industry. Sekhar is of ethnic Indian origin.

Personal history

Sekhar was born on November 16, 1929 at the Ulu Bulu Estate (now Malayan Glass). His place of birth is located quite near the Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia’s (RRIM) 3,400 acre experiment station at Sungai Buloh, which he developed during his tenure into one of the most comprehensively equipped research centers.

He started as a chemist at RRIM in 1949 and led research, particularly in physiochemical changes in natural rubber. He turned the institute into a world class research centre able to conduct in-depth research into the manufacture of nearly every conceivable rubber application from tubes, tyres and gloves to earthquake disaster prevention devices.

Contributions

Rubber

Sekhar served the natural rubber industry for about 50 years in various capacities. He was the first Asian Director of the Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia in 1966 and, subsequently, become the first Asian Controller of Rubber Research and chairman of the Malaysian Rubber Research and Development Board.

Under his leadership, the Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia (RRIM), in Hertford, Britain, and the Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) rose to great heights and gained international recognition for...
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