In nutrition, his own nourishment

Explaining the Halal way for food preparation onboard the USNS Mercy in the United States was Management and Science University (MSU) alumnus Mohamad Sharizan Abdul Hamid.

“That sharing session made among my most unforgettable experiences. The mostly American audience were all enthusiastic to learn about halal food handling,” he says.

As a graduate of the MSU Bachelor in Nutrition (Hons) programme, Mohamad Sharizan holds another portfolio in his Royal Medical Corps career: Nutrition Officer.

“After graduating from MSU in 2015 I landed a job that related to my degree. I had been really keen to work in a clinical environment so I did my practical at a private medical centre in Kuala Lumpur. I was offered the position of Diet Aide upon completing the internship but had to reject it because it was on contract basis. Luckily, I had also passed a two-week Graduate Cadet Officer Selection Camp in Melaka and a nine-month training as Cadet Officer at the Academy in Port Dickson, so here I am now, giving nutrition talks to officers as well as staff. Since members of the army need to always be fit and healthy within the BMI normal range, I receive a lot of requests to conduct programmes of body weight management, healthy eating, et cetera,” continues Mohamad Sharizan.

Other than his once-in-a-lifetime hospital-ship experience, he recalls the Marine Corps being another memorable encounter. In November 2017 he participated in Tiger Strike, a military exercise conducted between the Malaysian Army and the US Marine in Lahad Datu, Sabah, where the MSU alumnus gave a talk on healthy eating. said.


Believing that time is one of the greatest gifts he can give, Mohamad Sharizan has been setting the scene for community engagement since he was eighteen and an active member of PROSTAR – short for Program Sihat Tanpa AIDS (Healthy Without AIDS Programme). His public-education activities included visiting orphanages and elderly-care centres. During his Sabah posting to the B Coy of the First Medical Battalion at the Lok Kawi Camp in Kota Kinabalu from 2016 to 2018, he joined the Jiwa Murni programme for rural residents, where free medical and dental check-ups were provided. In his Nutritionist capacity, he set up a nutrition corner to give visual and hands-on information about eating right.

“I am super lucky to have studied at MSU. Across all the faculties and schools, community engagement is central to the education. I had great lecturers, supervisors and mentors who guided me throughout my years there. Their knowledge, advice, direction, counselling, and guidance were some of my best takeaways,” he enthuses.