By Saiful Bahri Kamaruddin
Pix Shahiddan Saidi

BANGI, 27 Mar 2014 –The National University of Malaysia (UKM) frowns upon plagiarism but students caught plagiarising in their thesis will be counselled and aided rather than being punished.

Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and International Affairs) Prof Ir Dr Riza Atiq Abdullah O K Rahmat noted that the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FSSK) have already taken preventive measures to guard the university’s reputation against any such incidence.

Launching the Plagiarism Awareness Campaign organised by the FSSK here today, Prof Riza pledged that UKM is committed to producing graduates who are ethical and would not plagiarise.

The message that FSSK brings with the campaign is that “plagiarism can and must be avoided” is an effective way to turn UKM’s plan into reality, he said. The slogan of the campaign is “Be Wise, Don’t Plagiarise”.

For that reason, the management gives full support to the campaign and hopes it can be an example to other faculties.

Though the employability of its graduates is high in UKM’s agenda, it is not stopping at that. UKM also aims at producing graduates with high level of creativity who can have significant impact on the society and the industry.

This is to ensure that UKM graduates will automatically be sought after by employers, even before their graduation, Prof Riza said.

He said UKM graduates will have the national identity, a strong sense of ethical values and possess knowledge and skills to explore new possibilities in order to survive a very competitive market place.

That is why at UKM, all these can only be achieved if the ground work at the university is built upon the pillar of integrity and honesty.

UKM, he said, is committed to be ahead of society and time in leading the development of a learned, dynamic and moral society.

The graduates must also advocate lifelong learning and are themselves lifelong learners.

However, high integrity is also important among staff members, who must have the necessary skills, ethical values and sensitivity towards any changes in society.

Present at the launch of the campaign were FSSK Dean Prof Dr Hazita Azman and chairman of the plagiarism awareness campaign Assoc Prof  Dr Jamaluddin Aziz.