Dr. Mohd Shahwahid sharing a joke with Tan Sri Arshad Ayub
of Malaya was qualified to conduct their own degree programme.
That was the beginning of ITM. In those days, we produced maybe hundreds of graduates, but today we produce thousands. The number of students( UiTM) today is 160,000. Recently, I gave away Master’ s scrolls to more than two thousand students.”
ITM’ S ENTRY REQUIREMENTS“ We were flexible on entry( to ITM) but didn’ t compromise on outcomes. The qualifications for entering ITM were varied. Some students had grade one 3, many more had grades two or three. There were even those who did not receive any grade! We gave them
3 This refers to SPM( Malaysian Certificate of Education) grades. SPM is a mandatory national examination for Malaysian students in their final year of secondary school. leeway. If the requirements stated they must have a credit in Mathematics and English, we gave them the opportunity to earn credits in Mathematics and English. We nurtured the students so that when they left ITM with a Diploma or Advanced Diploma, they would have met the necessary standards. Where professional certificates were concerned, the standards were set by international institutions. If you reached the standards set by these international bodies, then you were already excellent.
ITM was a way to give opportunities( to Malays). I was given many opportunities( in life), and so it was only fair that I gave opportunities to those who needed it as much as I did. If you still didn’ t make it after all the opportunities and second chances, then the problem is with yourself.”
ITM’ S MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION“ ITM’ s medium of instruction was English. I refused to change it to Bahasa Malaysia, even though some people labelled me a traitor. I kept in mind that ITM students were sitting for overseas examinations. Industry jobs also required either English or Mandarin. I think ITM graduates were welcomed by the industry in those days because of their English proficiency.”
AUKU( UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ ACT)“ In those days, students demonstrated a lot. In fact, they even demonstrated against me.” I was very hard on them in terms of discipline. I didn’ t allow my students to have long hair, wear tight pants, or smoke cigarettes. About four thousand students went to the Dean and demanded that I be fired. What was I supposed to do? Well, I