Malaysians must not take freedom for granted, says Dr Wee

KUALA LUMPUR: The freedom that Malaysians have today must not be taken for granted because this freedom was achieved through the sacrifices, determination and hard work of the older generation, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (pic).

“As the current generation of Malaysians, we need to continue the cycle of giving our best and build a better Malaysia for our next generation,” said the TARC Education Foundation board of trustees chairman and MCA president during his speech at the “Malaysiaku Jiwaku” Merdeka celebration held at the Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) main campus in Setapak on Tuesday (Aug 22) morning.

The event, held in conjunction with the National Day on Aug 31, was the first for the full-fledged university, which was officially formed upon receiving the certificate of registration from the Higher Education Department on Nov 7, 2022.

Paying tribute to the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, Dr Wee said the university is immensely proud to be a part of an institution named after the nation’s Father of Independence.

“The late Tunku was the epitome of nation-building, a man with valuable vision and patriotism that drove him to fight and demand for our independence as Malaysians, which we celebrate even up to this day.

“As a university named after this exemplary leader, TAR UMT will continue to uphold this legacy of excellence in shaping minds that will excel beyond education,” he said to members of the audience, who included family members of the late Tunku – Tengku Rozani Putra and Tengku Norin Putra.

The university – with five branch campuses in Penang, Perak, Pahang, Johor and Sabah – started out as a community college in 1969 before being upgraded to university college status known as Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC) in 2012.

Also present at the event were TAR UMT board of governors chairman Tan Sri Liow Tiong Lai; TAR UMT alumni council chairman and board of governors member Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy; TAR UMT president Prof Dr Lee Sze Wei; and TARC Education Foundation board of trustees member Datin Paduka Tan Siok Choo, who is also a daughter of the late Tun Tan Siew Sin, who had played an instrumental role in establishing the institution.