KUALA LUMPUR: The biography of Penangite medical hero Dr Wu Lien-Teh, who invented the medical face mask believed to be the precursor of the N95 respirator, has been translated into Malay to further spread his legacy.

Han Culture Centre Malaysia president Datuk Goh Hin San said that "Biografi Wu Lien-Teh", which was originally published in Chinese, will be the first step towards bringing Dr Wu’s great contributions to the Malay-speaking community.

"When I first read the book in May last year, I was very proud that Dr Wu was a Malaysian.

"The book shows his outstanding deeds and noble character, leaving behind an important historical legacy," he said at the launch of the translated book at Warong Old China here on Sunday (May 5).

The book, Goh added, has been proposed to be included as one of the 50 books celebrating the 50th anniversary of Malaysia and China's diplomatic relations.

Dr Wu was a Malaysian epidemiologist renowned for his heroic feat in helping to curb the pneumonic plague outbreak in Manchuria, China, in 1911.

He broke traditions by performing an autopsy to identify the disease and controlling the epidemic in three months through quarantining and masking.

He was also the first Malaysian-Chinese nominated for the Nobel Prize and the first medical student of Chinese descent to study at the University of Cambridge.

Dr Wu Lien-Teh Education Society president Koh King Kee emphasised the relevance of the doctor's life story in celebrating Malaysia and China's friendship.

"He was born in Penang but made tremendous contributions to Chinese modern medicine.

"This year is the 50th anniversary of Malaysia and China's diplomatic relations, so the publication of this book is very timely," said Koh.

He added that more awareness about Dr Wu's deeds in both countries is needed and hoped that their efforts will continue to spread the doctor's legacy.

The book’s author Huang Jiankun, who is from Beijing, said he felt responsible to write Dr Wu's story.

"I wrote it because he was such an inspirational figure and I wanted to spread his knowledge and noble spirit for good deeds.

"I started writing the book in January 2020, and because of the pandemic, he was becoming well-known. At that time, I had already gathered Dr Wu’s information for the past ten years," he said.

Huang is also one of the few relatives of Dr Wu in China, and he has inherited many of the doctor's belongings.

The Bahasa Malaysia translation started in December last year and was a collaboration between Han Culture Centre Malaysia and the original publisher BPG Bright Technology and Culture (Beijing).

Speaking on the translation process, Goh said it was the fastest production time in the history of the centre's published books.

"Once we agreed to translate in December, I immediately formed a team of four translators and five editors consisting of Malaysian-Chinese and Malay experts.

"In five months, we managed to complete the translation, layout and publishing of the book," he said.

The book was translated by Khoo Phau Lian, Sit Ai Reen, Cheah Poh and Ko Pey Ling.

Goh added that the urgency was due to an eligibility deadline for the 50th-anniversary book collection.

The biography, which includes 88 stories and 768 photos across 432 pages, will see 2,000 hardcover copies available for RM200 each on May 31.

Those interested in pre-ordering the book can contact the Han Culture Centre Malaysia at 017-3330226.