Idris (second left) with (from left) Raiha, chairman of UiTM board of directors Tan Sri Ir Dr Ahmad Zaidee Laidin and Hassan discussing a point. – Bernama photo
NILAI: Undergraduates and their university communities need to have ‘golden minds’ in order to achieve success, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh.
Citing the strong spirit of national track cyclist Mohd Azizulhasni Awang who won a bronze medal in the keirin at the Rio Olympics 2016, he said the young man showed that he had a ‘golden mind’, thus managing to attain success at the highly prestigious sporting event.
“How can our minds determine our future? I’ve taken interest in one personality whom I always mention, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former governor of California, where Stamford University, University of California, Berkeley and Silicon Valley are located, and where there are many professors.
“Who is Arnold Schwarzenegger? Have we studied him? He came from a poor family in Austria and did not have a high education, and he doesn’t even speak very good English.
“But in bodybuilding, be became Mr Universe (at age 20) and Mr Olympia (seven times) because his mind said so, and it was the same with Azizul.”
Idris said this in his speech at the simultaneous opening of a workshop on ‘Professorial Thoughts in Shaping Post-2020 Malay Community’ and the Institute of Leadership and Development, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), here, yesterday.
Also present were UiTM vice-chancellor, Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Hassan Said and Petronas Human Resources Management senior vice-president, Datuk Raiha Azni Abd Rahman.
Idris also noted that what Azizul said to his coach after he won the bronze medal was touching.
“I was astounded when he apologised to his coach, saying, ‘I am sorry I could not deliver you gold.’ This shows Azizul has a mind of gold.
“So, to be successful, whether in competitive swimming or in any other field, we cannot wholly depend on physical strength but also mental strength,” he said. — Bernama