By Radzuan Ghazali
Pix Shahiddan Saidi

BANGI, 24 November 2015 – The wife of Japan’s Prime Minister, Akie Abe took time out from her busy schedule to pay a visit to the Pusat PermataPintar at the campus of The National University of Malaysia (UKM) on 20 November.

She was accompanied by the wife of the Malaysian Prime Minister Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, who is patron of the center.

Also present were Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Industry and Community Partnership), Prof Dr Imran Ho Abdullah, director of PermataPintar Center UKM Prof Datuk Noriah Mohd Ishak, PermataPintar Consultant Professor Emerita Tan Sri Dr Sharipah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahbudin, staff and students of the Permatapintar.

Prof Emerita Dr Sharifah Hapsah gave a briefing on the development PermataPintar.

Akie Abe was also entertained by dance performances of Permata Negara children, a display of arithmetic prowess from Permata Insan, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia and a medley of dances by the Colours of Malaysia of the PermataPintar programme.

She also viewed an exhibition by the students at the PermataPintar Auditorium Foyer.

The wife of the Japanese Prime Minister was in Malaysia as  her husband attended the Heads of Asean summit, held from 18 to 22 November 2015.

Pusat Permata pintar Negara is Malaysia’s only centre of excellence responsible for identifying gifted and talented students from around the country and providing the opportunity to enable them to develop their true potential.

It was founded in 2009 under the administration of the Faculty of Education and later became an entity in 2010 under the Chancellery.