NO REGRETS FOR CHOOSING USM AS THE APEX UNIVERSITY

PENANG, 20 April 2012: Former Chairman of USM Board of Governors, Emeritus Professor Dato’ M. Zawawi Ismail said that he did not regret for choosing USM as the APEX University.

He chaired the APEX special committee under the Ministry of Higher Education and was involved in selecting the APEX University in 2008.

"After being in USM for such a long time, I have never regretted my decision in selecting USM as the APEX university, in fact, I have more confident in its potential. The necessary thing to do is to ensure that all the planned steps are well implemented. Indeed the preparation of proposal and planning is a difficult task. However, it will be much more difficult to implement such a big idea and ensure all the promises of change can be fulfilled, "Zawawi said.    

He spoke at the Chancellor Dinner Banquet Ceremony which was held to celebrate his departure to UKM as its Chairman of the Board of Directors, interchanged with Tan Sri Datuk Dr. Zulkefli A. Hassan who replaces him as the new Chairman of the USM Board of Directors.

"One aspect that can be improved is to strengthen the role of LGU in accordance to the direction of it having a full autonomy in the university. LGU is not just a body that certifies or authorises something, but one that examines from all aspects for the sake of the university’s interest,” Zawawi said.

He added that the university governance should be enhanced so that the level of transparency, integrity and accountability will be higher because ultimately the burden of responsibility will fall on the LGU as well. 

LGU will be praised or criticized for the success or failure of the institution. Any decisions made today will be used as future reference and adopted as a policy to implement any action.

Zawawi also said that he has high confidence in the new Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dato’ Omar Osman to lead USM and work closely with his staff to implement what has been planned for years.

"I have confident in his ability, furthermore, he always uses the phrase 'working together to realise excellence', which means he does not work alone and he also invites people to join him as a team and taking the responsibility together to develop this university. This type of integration is important, so that the university community will always be inspired and motivated to bring USM to a higher level," Zawawi said.

Emeritus Professor M. Zawawi Ismail took over the position as the Chairman of USM LGU in 2010.

H.R.H. Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail, USM Chancellor and H.R.H. Raja Perempuan of Perlis attended the Chancellor Dinner Banquet Ceremony. Also present were H.E. Tun Dato’ Seri Utama (Dr.) Haji Abdul Rahman Haji Abbas, the Governor of Penang and Toh Puan Dato' Seri Utama Hajah Majimor Sharif, the new Chairman of USM LGU, Tan Sri Datuk Dr. Zulkefli A. Hassan, USM Vice-Chancellor Professor Dato’ Omar Osman and Perlis State Assembly Speaker, the Honourable Dato’ Yazid Mat.