RM2.4 billion for UiTM proves commitment to education

The announcement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on the allocation of RM2.4 billion to Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) during the tabling of the 2018 Budget today, proves the government's commitment towards empowering Bumiputra education.

UiTM vice-chancellor Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Hassan Said said the university would also continue to be committed to achieve the target of 250,000 students by 2020.

"The 2018 Budget tabled by the prime minister is an inclusive budget and takes into account the various levels of society in Malaysia.

"Through this budget, I am confident that the government's intention to achieve the aspiration of the 2050 National Transformation (TN50) can be realised," he said in a statement.

The prime minister, when tabling the 2018 Budget in Dewan Rakyat, said other than the RM2.4 billion allocated to UiTM, the government had increased the number of student intakes to the university to 165,000 students with a target of achieving 250,000 students by 2020.

Meanwhile, in JOHOR BAHRU, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) vice-chancellor Ir Dr Wahid Omar said the RM400 million allocation for research and development grant for public higher learning institutions in the 2018 Budget would help to boost the quality of research and simultaneously benefit the society.

He said it enable the universities to produce more graduates with a doctoral of philosophy degree (PhD) other than buying reference materials for researches.

-- BERNAMA