Awang Tengah (fourth right) together with UKM vice-chancellor Prof Datin Noor Aziah Awal (second right), Julaihi (fifth right) and other alumni members cutting a cake to symbolise the launch of the dinner.

KUCHING: Alumni in the state are urged to be more proactive towards their former schools or universities as their influence could play a vital role to further develop and shape their former educational platform.

According to Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan, educational institutions are the most instrumental platform for the nation to produce graduates who will shape our nation’s economic, political and development landscape.

“We (alumni) are now in a better position to make changes by putting our influence to good use. This can also be a way for us to show our gratitude to our former university,” said Awang Tengah during the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Sarawak Alumni Association dinner on Friday night.

Awang Tengah who is also UKM Sarawak Alumni Association patron pointed out that the university has produced several leaders such as International Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan, Assistant Minister for Public Health Datuk Dr Jerip Susil, Assistant Minister for Public Utilities (Electricity and Telecommunications) Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, Assistant Minister of Public Utilities Datuk Sylvester Entri Muran, State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Morshidi Ghani and Deputy State Secretary Datu Misnu Taha.

He also disclosed that throughout the years, UKM has managed to produce around 12,500 graduates from Sarawak out of the 170,000 alumni throughout the nation as of 2015.

On another note, he added that alumni should also take the charge in promoting technical education among youths, especially those from rural parts of the state by working together with Tabung Gagasan Ekonomi Bumiputera (Tegas).
Technical education should not be seen as a second choice form of education anymore as the state has geared itself towards industrialisation to achieve the status of a high income economy, he said.

The Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (Score) will become the backbone for the major transformation by providing ample job opportunities that will heavily rely on semi-skilled and skilled workers.

“Score is projecting to attract at least RM30 billion from local and foreign players,” said Awang Tengah, who is also Minister of Industrial Development.

He added that despite the government’s effort in developing the state’s rural areas in terms of providing basic infrastructure such as water, electricity and tar sealed roads, it will all be for naught if the education is sidelined.

“With proper education and economic development, the economic gaps between the urban and rural people can be solved. This will be a proactive measure to eradicate poverty in the state,” he added.

Assistant Minister for Industrial Development (Investment and Promotion) Datuk Julaihi Narawi, who is also UKM Alumni Association president, said they will soon be launching a website database to bring together the university’s alumni in Sarawak.

“This database will enable the association to keep track of all our members and also to recruit new alumni,” said Julaihi.

On another note, he also announced that the association is planning to conduct motivational talks or seminars in the rural regions of Sarawak.