KOTA SAMARAHAN: Sarawak will set up a university focusing on Islamic education.
Deputy Minister for Utility and Telecommunication Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi said the state was currently in the process of discussing and planning the matter with the Sarawak Islamic Council (MIS) Education Bureau.
“We are discussing and putting in the effort to establish a higher learning institution—a university—in the future.
“This is still in the planning stage with the bureau. God willing, in the next three to five years, it will be possible to realise the dream of an Islamic university in Sarawak,” he said.
Dr Abdul Rahman was speaking to the media after officiating the closing ceremony of a zakat seminar here on Monday (Aug 1).
He said the establishment of the university would complement the existing Islamic academic institutions of various levels in Sarawak, including kindergartens and preschools as well as primary and secondary schools.
“We began planning for this over two years ago to elevate our efforts (in establishing Islamic academic institutions).
“Not only at the school level but also at the post-school level, especially through the setting-up of a college (or university) for education,” he explained.
“One of the things that I always bring up in our discussions is that we have students who have completed their secondary school in Islamic education, seeking to continue their studies in Islamic education at a higher level.
“However, they have no choice but to go to other places, including Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah or abroad to Indonesia, the Middle East and so on.
“It would be better if we have our own institution where we have students from Sarawak while our teaching staff are recruited from outside to facilitate and improve the quality of our Islamic education. This is what we are planning for.”
