Persatuan Alumni Universiti Putra Malaysia (Sarawak) Kuching pro-term committee in a photo call after the press conference. – Photo by Nur Shazreena Ali
KUCHING (Feb 16): Sarawakian graduates of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) now have their own alumni association, five decades since the university was established in 1971.
Called Persatuan Alumni Universiti Putra Malaysia (Sarawak) Kuching, its pro-tem chairman is Datuk Sylvester Entri Muran.
The former four-term assemblyman for Marudi is among the many experts, leaders and professionals in the state who graduated from the university.
According to Entri, the idea to set up the association was first mooted by the university’s main alumni body last year.
“The purpose of today’s conference is to inform the public, especially past students of UPM, about the existence of UPM alumni body called Alumni Association of Universiti Putra Malaysia (Sarawak) Kuching.
“Now, what motivates us to form this alumni association? The idea was mooted by the main body of Persatuan Alumni UPM Serdang in early last year.
“I was approached by the officer-in-charge of the Alumni Serdang at Putra Business School, UPM Serdang at that time. I took the challenge and immediately formed a WhatsApp group called UPM Graduates Sarawak,” he told a press conference at a hotel in Satok here yesterday.
Entri also said the association can play a role in assisting the state government, particularly in agricultural development.
“We acknowledge that all UPM Sarawak alumni have vast experiences in all fields related to their studies. Some have held senior positions in both public and private sectors.
“Some are pensioners while others are still serving. In one way or another, they have served the people and with such vast experiences at times of difficulties and successes, they are still able and willing to continue serving the community at their capabilities and capacities,” he said.
“The untiring efforts to continue the legacy of serving the people in Sarawak have encouraged us to form a UPM alumni association in Sarawak,” he said.
At the moment, Entri said the association has 120 members, and the pro-tem committee is actively recruiting members as they are targeting to hold the alumni’s first general meeting this year.
He thus called on all UPM Sarawakian graduates including fresh graduates to join the alumni association.
“The association is open to all UPM Sarawak graduates, be they retired or still serving, and all fresh graduates.
“The pro-tem committee will deliberate on the formation of a secretariat in the next meeting.
“The first general meeting of the association will be discussed by the pro-tem committee in the next meeting. Perhaps, this will be done by this year after June or towards the end of the year.
“The general meeting will be the election of office bearers for a term of two years,” he added.
