By Saiful Bahri Kamaruddin
Pix Kamarull Syamzari (USIM)

BANGI, 16 January 2015 – Five more public universities have been given autonomy status by the Education Ministry today, making a total to 12 local institutions of higher learning having the status.

They are, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNiMAS), Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) and Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM).

Letters of the conferment of the status was handed over to representatives of the universities by Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today in conjunction with the ministry’s New Year’s Message function at Putrajaya.

The seven other public institutions that had already been given autonomy since the policy was started in 2012 were The National University of Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), The International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM).