Higher Education and Socioeconomic Development in Malaysia:
A Human Resource Development Perspective

by

I. Development of Higher Education

Founding of Universities

During the First Malaysia Plan period (1MP, 1966-1970), two more public universities were established. In 1969, the University of Science was founded in Penang, with a modest initial intake of 60 students. The following year, the National University (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM) was founded in Kuala Lumpur (and later moved to Bangi, Selangor). UKM started with an enrolment off 191 students, using Malay as the medium of instruction. It was believed that the birth of this university had long been overdue.⁴

Two more universities were founded during the 2MP period (1971-1975). The University of Agriculture (UPM) in Serdang, Selangor, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, was formed by the union of the Faculty of Agriculture, the University of Malaya, and the Malayan Agriculture College, at Serdang. The UPM commenced its academic programme in July 1973 with an enrolment of 1,589 (including a large number of carry-over Diploma students of the Agriculture College). The University of Technology (UTM), which started as Technical College before Independence, was founded on 11 April 1975 in Kuala Lumpur and later moved to Johor State, while at the same time maintaining a branch campus in its original KL site. (http://www.utm.my/newhome/new11.htm).

No universities came into being during the entire 3MP (1976-80). The country saw the founding of two more universities during the 4MP period (1981-1985). The International Islamic University (IIU) was legally founded as a private university (with completely government backing) on 10 May 1983, and, in July of the same year, took in its first batch of 153 students (http://www.iiu.edu.my/profile/history.htm). The Northern University of Malaysia (UUM) was founded in 1984 as the sixth public university in the northern rice bowl state of Kedah, with a special vision of producing graduates in management-related areas⁵. Its only technology-based programme at present is Information Technology.

Two new universities were established in the eastern states of Sarawak and Sabah during the 6MP period (1991-1995). The seventh public university, University of Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), was founded on 24 December 1992 (http://www.unimas.my.htm), followed by the establishment of University of Malaysia Sabah (UMS) on 24 November 1994⁶.

The 7MP (1996-2000) saw the upgrading of MARA Institute of Technology, which was founded in 1959, to university status in 1998.⁷ Another milestone development in Malaysian higher education was the upgrading of the Sultan Idris Teachers' College (SITC)⁸ to university status (UPSI), also in 1998.

Upon examination of the mission statements of the various universities, two things are evident. First, they focus on "excellence"; and second, their missions make special reference to human resource development.

 

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