Mohd Annuar Zaini Appointed As UM Pro-Chancellor

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 29 (Bernama) -- The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, has announced the appointment of Tan Sri Mohd Annuar Zaini as Pro-Chancellor of Universiti Malaya (UM).

The announcement was made at the university’s 65th convocation ceremony today.

Mohd Annuar, who is the Perak Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIPk) president, described the appointment, effective Sept 1, 2025, to Aug 31, 2028, as a great honour for himself and his family.

“I am grateful to Allah for this high recognition in the nation’s academic sphere.

“I also extend my utmost gratitude to the Chancellor, His Royal Highness Sultan Nazrin, for entrusting me with this responsibility,” he told Bernama.

He also shared his views on UM’s future direction, emphasising the need to strengthen the university’s financial resources through greater alumni involvement.

Mohd Annuar proposed that every alumni member contribute regularly, at least RM100 a year, to help develop the university’s infrastructure, some of which has been in place since the 1960s.

“I believe that even RM100, though small, could become a meaningful development fund. I want to mobilise alumni so the university can build an endowment that supports its growth and keeps UM relevant and ranked among the world’s top institutions,” he said.

Mohd Annuar is a former chairman of the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) and currently holds several key positions, including UDA Holdings Berhad chairman and 7-Eleven Malaysia Holdings Bhd independent chairman.

During the ceremony, Sultan Nazrin also conferred an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree on former Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat in recognition of her service and contributions.

As UM’s Chancellor, Sultan Nazrin also awarded the title Professor Emeritus to several prominent academics in clinical, scientific and non-scientific fields, including Prof Datuk Dr Rohana Yusof and Prof Dr Khoo Ee Ming.

-- BERNAMA