KUCHING: The late economist Datuk Dr Madeline Berma’s work on economics and poverty was shaped by lived experience, from childhood hardship to a career built on field research, said Dr Lutfan Jaes.
The Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) Pusat Pengajian Umum dan Kokurikulum dean said Madeline will always be remembered as a principled voice in expressing her stance, and that it was shaped by her own experiences as a child and how she was raised.
He said she rose from poverty and later became an academic and a rigorous researcher, especially in the field of economics and poverty.
“She fought for something real and not just something stated in a book. She is a true researcher in the field, especially poverty,” he added.
He said she taught the importance of understanding real problems in society before conducting research, and not merely doing the bare minimum.
He said researchers who are “going through the motions” would not be able to identify the root of the problem and would end up merely spending the allocated grants.
