Milestone moment: Ahmad Zahid (left) presenting the Chancellor’s Award to Engineering Technology student Maryam Farzana Mohamad Sokri at UniKL’s convocation ceremony at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur. — Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: The Rural and Regional Development Ministry will ensure that Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) holders, especially from rural communities, will not drop out and will continue their education to a higher level, says its minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“We need to make sure no one is left behind (in education),” said Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also a Deputy Prime Minister.
The ministry and its agencies are responsible for developing the socioeconomics of rural communities, he said at the 19th convocation ceremony of Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur here yesterday.
He added that students of institutions under the ministry, especially in the field of Technical Education and Vocational Training (TVET), must be given the opportunity to continue their education from the certificate level up to higher stages.
“Don’t have a preconceived notion that they are considered dropouts or dropped out in the academic field and entered this TVET field. That there is no opportunity and no future. UniKL has proven that they are a national asset and capable of excelling,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid, reported Bernama, said that 280 UniKL alumni from 2016 to last year are working in 24 countries, thus proving that its graduates are recognised worldwide.
They had contributed to the government’s efforts to create a high-income society from the TVET field, he added.
At the UniKL convocation ceremony, which started yesterday and ends on Feb 14, Ahmad Zahid, who is also UniKL’s Pro Chancellor, presented doctor of philosophy, master’s, bachelor’s degree, diploma and certificate scrolls as well as best student awards to several graduates for the year 2022.
UniKL’s convocation celebrated 5,834 graduates, including 23 PhD holders, 151 master’s degree graduates, 4,299 bachelor’s degree graduates and 1,360 diploma graduates.
