New name for merged Terengganu varsities must get sultan’s consent, says MOE

Unisza and UMT will merge into a single university following a government decision.

KUALA TERENGGANU: Terengganu’s Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin will have to consent to any new name suggested for the entity merged from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) and Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (Unisza), the education ministry said.

Its Higher Education (Research and Internation) deputy director-general Mohd Cairul Iqbal Mohd Amin also said that Education Minister Maszlee Malik had asked a special committee on the merger to come up with suitable names after the two universities said their names should be retained.

“There was a reservation that the merger would result in UMT ‘swallowing’ Unisza and vice-versa, so Maszlee made it clear that this would not happen,” he said.

“The request that no contract staff would be made redundant has also been granted. No one will be terminated. The same goes for UMT’s request that in the wake of a merger its maritime speciality not be diluted. It will be maintained and even driven further,” he told a question and answer session with over 200 UMT and Unisza students attended by Higher Education director-general Siti Hamisah Tapsir.

Cairul said the ministry said the merger decision could change if Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad decides otherwise.

“It is not for us (special committee) to change the Cabinet’s decision, but you (students) have sent a memorandum to Dr Mahathir. He will decide. If Dr Mahathir says to change, we will help change the decision.

“But if Dr Mahathir does not entertain the memorandum, we will proceed with the merger. It is clear and we are here to listen to suggestions and complaints which we hope will not apply when the merger takes place,” he said.

Siti Hamisah said the merger was a Cabinet decision, and it should not be debated again. - FMT