Sunday October 3, 2004

Najib: Contribute to your alma mater

SHAH ALAM: There seems to be a lack of philanthropy among old boys to their alma mater, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

“Compared with other countries, such as America, the culture of contribution to honour the institutions that had helped to shape our lives is not that evident here,” he said.

Najib added that in America, some of the old boys even bequeath their estates to their former universities as a sign of appreciation for the knowledge received.

He hoped such a culture of philanthropy would flourish in Malaysia.

“Not only should we encourage the virtues of gratitude and charity, but we should also discard some negative habits.

“For instance, for those graduates who have made it in life, it is time to settle your loan. Some graduates have big salaries, big cars and houses, but still do not want to pay back the loan; this is something unacceptable,” he said before flagging off the Yayasan Budiman Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) treasure hunt at the university's stadium here.

He commended UiTM for playing a significant role in producing quality graduates, as well as helping graduates from poor families use the education received to break free from poverty and lead better lives.

Yayasan Budiman UiTM was established in 1999 by a group of former students who felt indebted to their alma mater.

The foundation aims to strengthen the network among the old boys and to help financially tight undergraduates, UiTM staff and the needy overcome their difficulties.

The treasure hunt, one of the foundation's activities to collect funds for deserving UiTM undergraduates, attracted 132 participants.

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