Serving up kuey teow pro

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia will soon be able to boast having professionally qualified char kuey teow sellers.

Under a proposed move by Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar), short courses on the fried flat rice noodles and other popular local fare such as satay or mee mamak will be offered along the lines of TAFE (Technical and Further Education) institutions in Australia.

Utar council chairman Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik said their committee would be sending a team to Aust­ralia soon to visit these institutions.

“TAFE provides vocational education and training in over 1,200 fields including bartending, tailoring, shoemaking and hairdressing,” he told reporters at the Utar campus here yesterday.

Dr Ling said these short courses would be offered under the Uni­versity System of Tunku Abdul Rahman (USTAR) – a new grouping comprising Utar, Tunku Abdul Rahman University College, Kojadi Institute, and the Institute of Childhood Education Studies and Community Education.

Besides the skills of frying kuey teow, other training options such as carpentry would be considered, he said.

“We want experienced chefs to pass on their trade to the younger generation,” he added.

Asked who could attend these short courses, he said it would be open to the public.

“We want to help people obtain some basic qualifications and achieve minimum wage,” he said.

Dr Ling said USTAR would also work with various organisations, including associations of chefs and carpenters, to teach vocational skills.

“Many school dropouts don’t have sufficient opportunities. We agree with the Government that there is a big demand for vocational schools,” he said.