Premier: UM interested to set up off-campus law faculty in Sarawak

KUCHING (Dec 21): Universiti Malaya (UM) is considering setting up an off-campus law faculty in Sarawak, revealed Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

He said the matter was conveyed to him when the university contacted him recently.

According to him, the curriculum will include Native Customary Rights (NCR) land, Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report, Cobbold Commission Report and traditional law as the faculty’s elective subjects.

“They have expressed their desire to have a law faculty in Sarawak on NCR and MA63 subjects.

“They will make it an elective subject and in the Peninsula they don’t teach NCR or MA63 courses, this time they want to learn the real origin of MA63 besides the Cobbold Commission Report and our traditional law,” he said.

Abang Johari disclosed this in his speech at the Appreciation Dinner of the Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) on Wednesday which was also attended by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is in charge of Unifor.

Dwelling further, Abang Johari said the move is not unique in Sarawak, as NCR and MA63 programmes are already in the curriculum at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus.

“Swinburne also offers this law major to students where they study for two years in Kuching (Sarawak campus) then they continue their studies for two years at Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne,” he said.

“With the law study course offered at Swinburne Sarawak, students can study here and then continue their studies in related subjects at Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne,” he added.