Take-Over to Enable UCS to become University

He strongly denied that the transfer to ownership involving a token sum of one Ringgit was to rob the millions of Ringgit that had been contributed by Chinese philantrophists.

“The easiest thing to do when setting up a university is to construct the buildings but the hardest is to maintain the university.” He pointed out when addressing about 80 information officers during a brief function at a leading hotel here.

He said with the take-over, Sarawak Foundation would be able to work out a roadmap to upgrade the college into a university college with a view to allow the federal government, to provide financial assistance.

A large sum of money would be needed for the upkeep of the university and pay the salaries of lecturers which the university could not expect to underwrite without the help of the federal government, he pointed out.

He told the officers that the college would not be able to depend on income derived from the intake of students from foreign countries like China and neither should it expect itself to survive on donations all the times.

“There is nothing sinister about the take-over but to enable the college to be developed into a university where students of all races can study and gain knowledge like in other universities in the country,” he said.

He expressed belief that once fully developed into a full-pledged university it should be able to make meaningful contributions to the workforce in the development of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE).

SCORE had been planned to exploit the potentials of cheap renewable energy provided by hydro power which were expected to attract investors to set up industries in the corridor area, he said.

“Many industries mean thousands of jobs for the people towards 2030.” He stated.

He pointed out that the government being a responsible government had to see that the future of the State and its people was secured through sound long-term development planning like SCORE.