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EMINENT FIGURE: THE LEGACY OF ARSHAD AYUB

Monday, 19 December 2022
By Daniel Ahmad

Since the passing of Tan Sri Arshad Ayub, the country has lost a recognised and respected education figure who contributed significantly to the establishment of the higher education system.

Arshad Ayub was born as the eldest child of a humble rubber tapper family on November 15, 1928, in Muar, Johor, and spent his childhood growing up in a harsh and impoverished environment.

Even though he suffered from typhoid and left with the job of rearing his four younger siblings after his parents died, Arshad overcame great odds through sheer determination, diligence, and discipline to rise above the trials and tribulations of his early life.

He was the first director of the Mara Institute of Technology (ITM), led it with courage, conviction and vision for one decade from 1965 to 1975 and since that, all ITM or now known as Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) leaders have been astounded by Arshad's enormous and generous imprints on the educational shires of UiTM.

Arshad worked at UiTM for his entire life and was later known as its pro-chancellor after resigning from the civil service, where he had spent 32 years.
(Source: Website UITM)

“Tan Sri Arshad who started us on this odyssey and piloted them with courage, conviction and determination through our turbulent, formative years,” said Vice Chancellor of UiTM, Professor Emeritus Dato’ Dr Hassan Said in the book, ‘Arshad Ayub: A Celebrated Life’, written by Zaleha Arshad.

According to Dr Hassan, Arshad's life and work have touched the lives of 680,000 graduates of this citadel of learning and thousands of them have risen to prominence in society.

Citing the Sinar Harian report, President of Alumni Association Universiti Teknologi MARA (PAUiTM), Datuk Zaini Hassan, described the services of Arshad in educating the nation's children as unparalleled.

Tan Sri Arshad is a figure who created history and gave the opportunity to all students, whether good or less excellent in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) to acquire knowledge until reaching the highest level (degree and professional qualification).

Tan Sri Arshad Ayub, the institute's founder and the architect of its lofty goals had fostered, molded, and inspired it from 1965 until 1975.

(Source: Utusan Malaysia)

"Today, many business leaders in the corporate sector and so on are students of ITM, as a result of the services of the late while founding ITM, he introduced courses in the professional field including the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) exam," he said.

Not only that, Arshad has been called the "Father of Development" at ITM for his efforts in developing Bumiputera human capital.

According to Rokiah Talib in her book A Second Chance: Life and Mission of Arshad Ayub’, he was not only laid the academic groundwork for several courses and related programmes to suit a growing student population but also ensured that IT delivered its objectives, namely, to provide professional education to as many Bumiputeras as possible.

He was keen to ensure their acceptability as graduates, on the terms set by industry and this objective holds relevance till today.

Arshad was also able to do all of these by firmly believing that education must remain a top priority if it is to advance the country while also remaining optimistic about what all people are capable of.

Citing from Free Malaysia Today, according to a brief statement from Tun Arshad Ayub’s family, he passed away early on June 14 of last year, at 2:06 a.m. because of unspecified medical conditions.

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