Taken from The Borneo Post online at: http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=11885

KUCHING: Many Sarawakians do not know that Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) is the only public university in the country that pays monthly salaries to its undergraduates. The salaries range between RM1,206.96 and RM1,553.04.

Besides, the undergraduates are entitled to allowances and bonuses while their tuition and accommodation fees are fully sponsored. On top of that, they would be offered a job in the Defence Ministry immediately after their graduation.

However, there is something that the undergraduates have to sacrifice. For instance, they would not be able to enjoy long semester breaks like other undergraduates. They also have to serve in the Defence Ministry for between 10 years and 13 years.

UPNM assistant registrar Mohd Amirul Zzaki Razmi explained yesterday that the undergraduates were required to involve in military training during semester breaks. “Nevertheless, they would be given one week holiday before and after the training,” he told thesundaypost when met at the 2010 Higher Education Carnival at Permata Exhibition Centre here.

He said UPNM, which was established in November 2006, offered engineering, science and technology, resource management and medical courses. The university, located at Sungai Besi Camp in Kuala Lumpur, was the former Akademi Tentera Malaysia (ATMA), he said.

“We are the only university in Malaysia that pays our students salaries, and our yearly intake is only 500 students. However, the enrolment of students from Sarawak and Sabah is still low.

“I believe many East Malaysian students do not know about UPNM, even teachers may not know about it. UPNM is one of the universities governed by the Higher Education Ministry, but its students are fully sponsored by the Defence Ministry,” he explained.

He said the university had less than 50 Sarawak students since its first enrolment, adding that its current student population was about 1,700. “Last year, 12 candidates from Sarawak were called for interview, but only eight qualified to be enrolled in our one-year foundation programme,” he said.

The interview was conducted at Penrissen Camp near here. The seven to nine-day interview which included physical and fitness tests was carried out in April every year in various military camps throughout the country, Amirul said.

Another UPNM assistant registrar Muhammad Khaidzir Lokman, meanwhile, said 80 per cent of the university’s students were male. He pointed out that UPNM was different from other public universities where it had only one intake per year, which was in July every year.

“Besides the one-year foundation progrmme, the length of study ranges from three to five years. Medical students have to complete five years of study, engineering students four years and students of other courses three years.

“While in the university, the undergraduates are also required to pass at least six military trainings,” he added. For further information, the public can visit the booth of UPNM at the carnival. The two-day education carnival which ends today (Feb 21) is themed ‘Jom Masuk U’.

It is an annual event organised by the Higher Education Ministry and supported by the Education Ministry. About 100 higher learning institutions and organisations are participating in the carnival which has received overwhelming response from students and the public