Wan Junaidi Proclaimed Chancellor Of UNIMAS

KUCHING, Oct 16 (Bernama) -- Yang Dipertua Negeri of Sarawak Tun Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar was today proclaimed the fourth chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS).

The proclamation ceremony was held at Astana Negeri here, where the instrument of appointment was presented to Wan Junaidi by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir.

His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia has granted his consent for Wan Junaidi to succeed the third UMS chancellor, the late Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud, with the appointment taking effect from Feb 22 this year until Jan 25, 2025.

In his acceptance speech, Wan Junaidi said that serving as chancellor is an honour and carries a great responsibility.

“It is not just a symbolic position for the university. The chancellor plays a crucial role in driving UNIMAS’ aspirations to excel in the fields of academics and research, both nationally and internationally,” he said.

Wan Junaidi highlighted that over its 32-year history, UNIMAS had brought significant development and rapid progress not only to the Samarahan area, where its main campus is located, but also to rural areas such as Sadong Jaya.

He emphasised that UNIMAS must be a leader in technology and innovation, especially in renewable energy and emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and robotics, in line with Sarawak’s green and digital economy agenda.

“To support the state government’s efforts, UNIMAS must play a major role as an innovative and creative institution of education and research,” he added.

The ceremony was also attended by Wan Junaidi’s wife, Toh Puan Fauziah Mohd Sanusi, and Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is also UNIMAS pro-chancellor.

-- BERNAMA