ALOR SETAR: The senior assistant registrar of Kolej Universiti Insaniah (Kuin), Muhammad Azki Hafizi Ibrahim, yesterday clarified that the requirement for candidates to pass the Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM) was a basic requirement to qualify for the Syariah degree programme at the college.
He said it was not a new requirement set by the Higher Education Ministry as claimed by Kuin Rector Professor Datuk Dr Jamil Osman.
Muhammad Azki Hafizi regarded the action by Jamil as trying to avoid from being blamed for the blunder on the enrolment of 34 under-qualified students which resulted in the college having to pay RM272,00 in fines for breaching the regulation set by the ministry.
Kuin Senior Assistant Registrar Muhammad Azki Hafizi Ibrahim said Jamil was avoiding being held responsible for the mistake by claiming that there was a new condition for students taking up Syariah degree programme at the college, whereby they were required to pass the STAM.
“Actually, that is the basic requirement to enroll for Syariah courses at Kuin,” he added.
He said that based on an agreement signed on Nov 23, 2011 between Kuin and Kolej Islam Darul Ulum (Kidu) Pokok Sena, students who wanted to enrol for the Syariah degree programme were required to pass the STAM.
“It was signed by Jamil himself, who represented Kuin and Kidu, by its chief executive, Zawawi Ahmad, witnessed by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak and state executive council member Datuk Taulan Rasul,” he said in a statement here yesterday.
He claimed that in January 2011, Kuin applied to change the entry requirements for the programme and was approved by the Higher Education Ministry, while maintaining the requirement for the pass in STAM.
“Jamil knows that students who do not meet the requirement set by the ministry, to pass the STAM, have been sent to study at Kidu, while those who meet the requirements are sent to the Kuin campus at Mergong,” he added.
On a claim by Jamil that staff at Kuin did not use available channel to resolve problems at the college, Muhammad Azki Hafiz, said Jamil and Azizan, who is the chairman of the Kuin board of directors, were two individuals who refused to discuss to resolve the problem.
“On May 14, 2012, six Kuin staff went to see Azizan at his residence at Jalan Sultanah to explain the issue at Kuin, but the outcome was negative because Azizan still believed in the information provided by Jamil,” he added.
Muhammad Azki Hafizi said six days later a committee, representing staff at Kuin, sent a memorandum to Jamil for problems on the welfare of the staff, including salary, to be solved.
He said a copy was also sent to Azizan, as well as all the board members, but not action was taken.
At the end of the month, four representatives of Kuin staff went to see Jamil, but Muhammad Azki Hafizi said Jamil only wanted to see him.
“During the meeting, Jamil only questioned on the validity of the body which we set up to bring up the matter.
“In fact, after the meeting, I received a letter which was signed by the rector himself, of my immediate transfer to Baling,” he added.
He said a second memorandum was handed to Azizan on June 19 last year to resolve the problem and also a letter to Jamil, the following day, but there was no respond from them.
“Last Jan 15, Jamil held a meeting with the staff, but after giving his speech, he left the room, despite appeals by the staff present for him to stay to discuss the problems,” he added. — Bernama