Public Urged To Use Services At UCTC UniMAP

PADANG BESAR, Feb 28 (Bernama) -- The public have been urged to use the facilities offered by the University Community Transformation Centre (UCTC) at Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) for their own benefit.

Perlis Public Facilities and Infrastructure Committee chairman, Jafperi Othman said the UCTC aimed to make access to knowledge people-centred and to optimise the use of infrastructure at the university by sharing it with the community, especially those in Padang Besar and the surrounding areas.

"In the current climate of economic uncertainty, the community especially the youth should be wise by equipping themselves with what is necessary in facing competition in the education or job sector.

"With this one-stop centre, the youth and the public can gain access to the facilities offered such as business training, sports and short-term courses to build a community that is more innovative," he said when opening the UCTC Carnival and Perlis Community Transformation Centre (CTC) at the Uniciti Alam UniMAP campus, here, today.

Also present were adviser to the Higher Education Minister, Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Kamarudin Hussin, who is former UniMAP vice-chancellor, and senior deputy director (Monitoring) of the National Strategy Unit under the Finance Ministry, Syed Nasir Syed Ahmad.

Jafperi said the UCTC concept allowed for the use of the university's infrastructure by the community and research in pursuing life-long learning.

UniMAP acting vice-chancellor, Prof Datuk Dr Zul Azhar Zahid Jamal said the setting up of the UCTC at UniMAP was approved in March 2013 through the National Blue Ocean Strategy to channel expertise and social services to the surrounding community, hence building good relations between the university and community.

"This UCTC has also forged ties with the mini Rural Transformation Centres in Kampung Bongor Kudong, Kok Klang and Felcra Lubuk Sireh to facilitate obtaining of services by the public," he said.

The two-day carnival also featured a Malay market, people's feast, a karaoke contest, colouring competition, entrepreneurs' exhibition, UniMAP expertise exhibition, and a CTC mobile service by the Finance Ministry.

-- BERNAMA