UniKL Delivers 'Kolej Universiti Teknologi Sarawak' to the State Government
Sibu, April 26 – Prime Minister, YAB Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak handed over the Invitation Letter to establish Kolej Universiti Teknologi Sarawak (KUTS) to Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud to initiate the development of a State owned technical university that will provide the required skilled manpower for SCORE (Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy). The ceremony was held during the community dinner organised by Sibu Resident Association to mark the start of YAB Prime Minister’s 2-day visit to Sarawak.
In order to ensure the success of SCORE, Sarawak State Government realized the requirement to develop human capital and skilled workforce locally is crucial and decided to establish a technical university that will produce the skilled manpower in various fields of technology. The initial pledge to establish the university was made by the Prime Minister during Sibu by-election in 2010 for a university to be established in Sibu by 2012.
Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) was engaged by the State government to assist in the setting up of the university, an acknowledgement by the State to UniKL as the leading technical university in Malaysia. The work on the establishment concept began in November 2011 involving UniKL and Sarawak State represented by Kolej Laila Taib, another State owned institution which focuses on technical education at Diploma and Certificate level. An Establishment Concept Paper was submitted to Ministry of Higher Education in early April and was approved on 25 April 2012 by Higher Education Minister, Y.B. Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
As a partner to the State government in developing KUTS, UniKL is responsible to come up with the establishment concept of the university including providing the curriculum for selected technical programmes, quality assurance, academic leadership and academic and student management of the university. UniKL also owned 18% share in this university. KUTS which boast a capacity of 3,000 students will begin its operation with the first intake in September 2013 with the construction of its first phase to begin in June 2012. The programmes offered are in the field of mechanical, electrical/electronics, civil, quantity surveyor, environmental design, business administration with oil & gas and agriculture management to be introduced at a later stage. KUTS will also be the first university in Malaysia to run its own technology park that was planned to be developed adjacent to the site of KUTS campus.
The handing over ceremony was witnessed by Y.B. Dato’ Sri Wong Soon Koh, Sarawak Finance Minister (II) who is also the Chairman of Edusar Resources Sdn. Bhd., the management company of KUTS and Prof. Dato’ Dr. Abdul Hakim Juri and Dato’ Mohamed Hisham Che Abdul Ghani representing UniKL who are also Directors in Edusar Resources Sdn. Bhd.