NILAI, August 9, 2019 – National Laureate, Emeritus Professor Dr Muhammad Hj Salleh has been appointed as an Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Major Language Studies (FPBU), USIM in a ceremony held yesterday at the Cultural Theatre, USIM Cultural Centre.

“USIM is honoured to obtain his services as a consultant that will be managed by a few departments in USIM. Among the consultancy plans are research advisory services for the Faculty of Quranic and Sunnah Studies, Faculty of Leadership and Management, and Faculty of Major Language Studies; advisory services for the production of publications with the Publishing Division; expert advisory services in the organisation of cultural programmes with the Cultural Centre; delivering discourses in his field of expertise organised by the Library and Cultural Centre as well as Public Lectures organised by the FPBU,” said YBhg Professor Dr Abdul Rahim Abdul Rahman, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic & International) in his speech representing USIM Vice-Chancellor.

He added that as a respected laureate and academic, Dr Salleh has played a key role in the realm of Malay literature through numerous writing conferences and working paper presentations. He has made immense contributions to literary theories concerning the Malay literature.

“To add, I hope that the Faculty of Major Language Studies and the Centre of Core Studies will take the initiative towards upholding the Malay language empowerment agenda at USIM. It is hoped that this appointment will foster the culture of Integration of Naqli and Aqli knowledge among the campus community as a whole.”

Emeritus Professor Dr Muhammad said the appointment is a good starting point for him to contribute ideas with the university and urged to together study the uniqueness of Malay language and literature.

“I consider this appointment as a duty to channel my ideas and play a part with USIM as well as together appreciating the Malay works through various programmes planned for the next two years,” he said in his speech.

Emeritus Professor Dr Muhammad Hj Salleh, 77, hails from Perak and became known as a writer in the late 1960s and writes mostly English poems. His eminence in the realm of modern Malay poetry gained the admiration of literary enthusiasts in the country when his works, especially poems, drew the attention of not only the country’s Literary Prize Panel but also after he won the Asean Literary Prize in Jakarta.

Since 1971, some of his poems have won the Literary Prize, and in 1977, he received the Asean Literary Prize in poetry for his collection of poems Perjalanan Si Tenggang II.

This appointment is in line with the aspiration of the Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE) to appoint a Laureate@USIM, who will receive benefits from the University according to the Academic Staff Appointment Scheme (SLAK) in the form of honorarium, daily incentives and travelling expenses for programmes jointly organised by USIM based on a minimum number of meetings of either 4 times in 2 years or 2 times a year. Indirectly, his contributions and recognition can give extensive benefits across university, national and international levels.

Prepared by:
Syazlyna Jamil
Pusat Komunikasi Strategik (StraComm)
Aras 1, Canselori Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM)
71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan