By Saiful Bahri Kamaruddin
Pix Ikhwan Hashim

BANGI, 23 September 2015 – The National University of Malaysia (UKM) will receive endowment of RM2 million for a period of 5 years from the SKG Group (SKG) of Wellness and Health companies to be disbursed to selected students from low-income families.

The scholarships will benefit up to 100 undergraduates  per year or an average of RM4,000 for each student.

A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed by UKM Vice-Chancellor  Prof Datuk Dr Noor Azlan Ghazali and SKG Group President Dr Lee Siew Keong here today, witnessed by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Industry and Community Partnership) Prof Dr Imran Ho Abdullah and SKG Director of Business Development Jerry Lau.

In addition to this funding, SKG has also pledged to contribute to the infrastructure of the main campus in Bangi by financing the setting up of  a discussion room and a bus stop.

Speaking at a press conference after the signing ceremony, Dr Lee said the scholarships will be granted subject to the applicant’s financial situation and are open to all communities

In the long run, SKG which groups companies representing manufacturers and distributors of healthcare and wellness products, plans to fund health research at UKM.

Said Dr Lee, UKM was selected partly because  the university assisted SKG in research of many products and carrying out DNA tests and other analysis.

“UKM has the scientific expertise to undertake Halal certification such as the ‘Porcine’ test to determine whether a compound contains porcine substances.

“I can assure our products are all Halal. Thanks to the UKM,” he declared.

In addition to scholarships and infrastructure, SKG also plans to renovate the hall at the Graduate School of Business (GSB) of UKM.

The exact cost and funding have yet to be determined.

Prof. Noor Azlan, in turn, explained that the cooperation between UKM  and SKG is not limited to the local scene, but also internationally.

“They (SKG) has links with researchers in Japan whom we have met. Although SKG is a business entity, it also has connections with research.

“We do the research, but we also need to guide our students in order to interact with others and develop the network overseas,” stated the Vice-Chancellor.

Also present at the ceremony were the Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology Prof Dr Sahrim Hj Ahmad and Assoc Prof Datuk Dr Rokiah Omar from the Faculty of Health Sciences, among others.