By Fitri Hazim Hazam
SHAH ALAM, July 20 — Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj says Malaysia’s Islamic higher education system is on par with universities abroad, including those in the Middle East, and called for greater confidence in local institutions such as Universiti Islam Selangor (UIS).
Speaking at the university’s 27th Convocation Ceremony, the state ruler said UIS is just as capable and credible as its international counterparts and should be fully leveraged by students and parents alike.
“I have decided that the state government and Lembaga Zakat Selangor (LZS) will no longer sponsor students at the diploma and undergraduate levels to study at universities in the Middle East.
“While I understand some parents may be unhappy with this new policy, I believe students from religious schools under the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) and the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) have the academic ability to pursue their studies locally at UIS,” he said at the ceremony held at UIS’ Dewan Sultan Idris Shah, Kajang, yesterday.
Sultan Sharafuddin added that state-sponsored students should focus on mastering Arabic and strengthening their academic foundation at local institutions before pursuing postgraduate studies overseas.
“For those pursuing master’s or doctoral degrees, the state and LZS will continue to support their further education abroad,” he said.
His Royal Highness also urged the state government to maintain its commitment to strengthening UIS through financial support, infrastructure development and student welfare, to ensure its continued growth as a leading Islamic university.
At the same ceremony, Sultan Sharafuddin officially declared UIS as a full-fledged university and appointed Tengku Permaisuri Selangor Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin as its first chancellor.
He also presented letters of appointment to Mais chairman Dato’ Setia Salehuddin Saidin and Selangor Royal Council member Dato’ Setia Mohamad Adzib Mohd Isa as Pro-Chancellor I and Pro-Chancellor II, respectively.
The Sultan announced the renaming of the university’s convention hall to Dewan Sultan Idris Shah, in conjunction with the UIS achieving its university status.
A total of 1,528 students are expected to graduate during the three-day convocation, which runs until Monday.
During yesterday’s Chancellor’s Session, Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin conferred scrolls to 31 doctoral graduates and 19 master’s degree recipients.
