KUALA LUMPUR, June 7 – Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has urged for the role of universities as the country’s main ‘Brain Trust’ be restored, especially in the face of an increasingly disruptive and unpredictable economy.

“I do not intend to comment further on this issue but I would like to touch on the university agenda that needs to be reviewed. The agenda needs to be reviewed so that its research and scholarship results are more utilized and become an agent to solve the people’s problems, and not just on the shelves.

“If we examine the motto of some local universities, UTM for example, being ‘Because of God, for human beings’, UPM with ‘knowledgeable, devoted’ and so on are reflections of the true spirit of a university to on stream with people’s problems and future,” he said in a FB pposting.

He said, with the onslaught of economic problems befalling the country such as rising commodity prices, the need to review the country’s fiscal management in order to cover rising subsidies, labor shortages in the industry sectors, the contraction of the national currency and food security problems are among areas need proper attention.

“Not only that, the problems faced by the country do not stop at economic issues but also the social problems and human values ​​of our society.

“In this week alone, there have been two brutal murders – a woman who was seven months pregnant was shot with jealous motives and a mother who was chopped up over inheritance dispute. So is the issue of drug trafficking, the problem of illegal immigrants and so on.

“All this clearly shows the importance of the role of universities in giving serious recommendations to the government or ulil amri in solving various national problems. Many creative ideas, innovations and important ideas need to be utilized by government, industry and society to make the university as the National ‘Brain Trust’,” he said.