Proud day: Honorary fellows Tan and Lim (second and third from left, respectively) with TAR UMT president Prof Dr Lee Sze Wei (far left), Chan (centre), and TARC Education Foundation board of trustees members Tan Sri Lau Yin Pin (third from right), Datin Paduka Tan Siok Choo (second from right), and Datuk Roger Tan Kor Mee (far right).
FOLLOWING its recent upgrade from Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC) to Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT), the institution celebrated its inaugural convocation ceremony as a full-fledged varsity at its Kuala Lumpur main campus from Nov 12 to 14.
A total of 3,199 graduates received their scrolls, of whom 2,218 were diploma holders, 942 were from the bachelor’s degree programmes and 39 were postgraduate recipients.
During the three-day event, 74 academically outstanding graduates were also recognised with the coveted Book Prize award.
This year, 9,054 scrolls were awarded across the main campus, and branches in Penang, Perak, Johor, Pahang and Sabah, a press release from the varsity read.
Hoh Ji Hin, a Bachelor of Hospitality Management (Hons) graduate and Book Prize winner, was awarded the President’s Award, while Hew Ting Yi, a Bachelor of Accounting (Hons) graduate, received the Excellence Award for his achievement in the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) professional examination.
Congratulations: Hoh (left) receiving the President’s Award cup, medal, certificate of commendation and cash award from Prof Lee.
Describing the recognition as a “pleasant surprise”, a grateful Hoh thanked the varsity’s staff and lecturers, as well as his coursemates, for their support and guidance.
“This achievement has really motivated me. As a student, I had witnessed the process of TAR UC being upgraded to a university and I am truly proud,” he said, adding that the status upgrade is essential for making the institution better for students and the employees.
Hew said the honour of receiving the prestigious award is more meaningful now that his alma mater is a full-fledged university. “My academic achievements would not have been possible, had it not been for the experienced and caring lecturers and the state-of-the-art facilities here.
“I will always be grateful for the opportunities and recognition given to me by my alma mater,” he said.
During the first session of the convocation ceremony, Datuk Dr Lim Khaik Leang, the second principal of the then TAR College, and Tan Chang Soong, the former deputy registrar and one of the pioneers of the college’s higher education planning working team, received honorary fellowship awards for their contributions to the institution during its early years.
Lim and Tan were conferred the award by TAR UMT board of governors member and the varsity’s alumni council chairman Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy.
Chan also handed out the scrolls to graduands and congratulated them on their well-deserved success.
“This qualification is proof that the precious time, hard work, determination and effort you had put into your studies at TAR UMT deserves nothing less than recognition, admiration and applause from everyone here,” he said, adding that while new paths are forged, the institution’s core mission – making tertiary education accessible to all deserving Malaysians – will not be forgotten.
“We will ensure that the TAR UMT student loan fund will continue to offer financial assistance to deserving students, providing them with a chance to pursue a tertiary qualification,” he emphasised in his speech.
Since the fund was set up in 1979, some 14,800 students have benefited from loans amounting to more than RM55mil.
The staggering amount disbursed is in addition to TAR UMT’s merit scholarships, which are awarded to top students.
