ARAU: The government is gathering information on aging public Institutions of Higher Learning (IPTA) campuses nationwide to carry out maintenance and refurbishment works, says Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir.
He said he felt such works were necessary following visits to some university campuses and polytechnics.
“I do not have an exact number (of campuses that need maintenance and repairs) because we are still in the process of determining it.
“For example, I just visited Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Polytechnic (in Arau) and saw that it requires some maintenance because it is over 20 years old, maybe like a paint job. There are some things that we will tackle immediately,“ he told reporters at the Semarak Ramadan KPT@UniMAP ceremony today.
In conjunction with the event, Zambry also officially launched the ‘MySiswa Card’ initiative, formerly known as the Prihatin Siswa Card.
On the MySiswa Card, he said nearly 550,000 students of public universities across the country had benefited from the initiative since its implementation in March last year.
He said the launch of the card was also in line with the ministry’s aspiration to transform the matriculation card into a multi-functional smart card.
“Among the advantages of this card is that it can be used as a bank debit card, an access card to integrated facilities and functions on campus such as the attendance system and the library system, and is even equipped with an e-wallet function,“ he said.
“In addition, the MySiswa Card serves as a promotional and discount card that entitles the holder to various special offers, discounts and rebates on and off campus,“ he said.
A statement issued by the ministry in conjunction with the event said the MySiswa Card is an integrated initiative of KPT with RHB Islamic Bank Berhad as the implementing strategic partner.
