The statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office.
KUCHING: The Sarawak government is seeking further clarification from the federal government as to why they were not consulted over the appointment of Malaysian lnstitute of Economic Research (MIER) chairman Tan Sri Dr Kamal Mat Salih as the fourth chairman of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak’s (Unimas) Board of Directors.
Noting that the appointment was announced in the media, the state government said it was “regrettable” that the appointment was not referred to them.
“It has to be clarified that the Unimas Board Chairman has always been appointed after consultation with the state government and neither was the state government notified officially of his appointment prior to the announcement,” a press statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) today read.
“This has been the process that was adhered to since the appointment of the first chairman, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Bujang Mohd Nor, second chairman Datu Dr Hatta Solhi and the third chairman Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Sulong Matjeraie, whose term is set to expire on April 30, 2021,” the statement said.
Kamal, born in 1946, is an expert in the area of economics, development, regionalism, and international political economy.
He was Mier founding executive director from 1986 to 1994.
Kamal was also a member of Prime Minster’s Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad’s Economic Panel in 1981 to 1986, the Malaysian Business Council (1991 to 1996), and acted as the Rapporteur-General of the first National Economic Consultative Council or MAPEN1 (1989 to 1991).
In 1992 he established the first private medical college in Malaysia, the International Medical University (IMU) and remained its executive chairman until 2004.
On retiring from IMU, Kamal served as economic advisor on the National Implementation Task Force (NITF) in the former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Badawi’s administration from 2006 to 2008.
He was also Wangsa Maju MP from 1996 to 1999.
In 1996, he established Yayasan Wangsa Maju – now known as Yayasan Mahkota – and is presently its chairman.