1,000 academicians to deliberate on national integration

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KOTA KINABALU: Over 1,000 academicians will converge at the Kuala Lumpur Istana Hotel next weekend to discuss and find a resolution on issues related to national integration.

Comprising professors and associate professors, they will also be deliberating on the unity among the ethnic groups in Malaysia, besides identifying the contributing factors that unite, as well as the threats and challenges to the nation’s national integration.

Held for two days on Nov 9 and 10, the National Professors Congress themed, ‘Gagasan Penyatupaduan Nasional’, is organised for the second time by the National Professors Council.

All resolutions will be compiled and will be submitted to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is scheduled to officiate the event’s closing ceremony.

The congress co-director, Professor Datuk Syed Arabi Idid, in disclosing this said matters related to national integration was vital, especially in the globalisation era which is full of challenges and competition.

As such, the congress will be discussing on issues related to the event’s theme in five sessions.

“The five topics to be deliberated are on concepts and integration challenges, followed by socio-economy, science and education, identity and patriotism, and lastly, globalisation resilience,” he told reporters during a press conference at Universiti Malaysia Sabah, yesterday.

Also present was UMS School of Social Science dean, Professor Datuk Mohd Hamdan Adnan.

Syed Arabi said discussions would not be restricted to focusing on the political integration alone, but also as a whole, including education, economy and globalization.

“We will also be discussing on Malaysians’ fundamental values which is the root to the national integration. In this matter, we will be studying oin the merger of ethnics so it can be done effectively,” he said.

He added they would also be deliberating on ways to narrow the economic gap between the Malays and Bumiputeras, Indians and Chinese.

“The same goes to one’s fundamental values which need to be strengthened and defended when challenged by globalisation as it would create new challenges,” he said.