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The Menteri Besar of Kedah Darul Aman, Dato' Seri Mukhriz Tun Mahathir officiated the 1 School 1 District (1S1D) Programme and Presentation of UUM Scholarship to Outstanding Students Ceremony at EDC Hotels & Resorts.

Dato' Seri Mukhriz said the idea that UUM initiated was very much in line with the market demand as a university surrounded by a large underprivileged community. Hence, as part of its responsibility, the university found the need to share its expertise in the interests of the community.

"On behalf of the Kedah state government, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to UUM for initiating this idea. The Kedah state government also aspires to develop the state of Kedah by 2035 and in the meantime, we hope to further propel state of Kedah's position to one that is comparable with other states.

According to Dato' Seri Mukhriz , he also wondered about the country having to deal with technological advancements, the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0), block-chain and Artificial Intelligence (AI)and what the future holds for graduates especially with regard to the impact of technology on job opportunities. As such he called on the students to prepare themselves to face the imminent possibilities.

1S1D is the brainchild of UUM Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dato' Dr. Ahmad Bashawir Abdul Ghani whereby the programme will assist every district with the preparation of a complete databank using block-chain to develop the people of Kedah.

The selected areas included Kota Setar, Kulim, Kubang Pasu, Baling, Sik, Yan, Bandar Baru, Padang Terap, Pokok Sena, Pendang, Langkawi and Kuala Muda.

Meanwhile, according to the Vice-Chancellor, the various areas of expertise at UUM could be contributed to each district depending on the suitability of location of the community.

"This is where the strength of 1S1D can be found, where areas of expertise are managed in an organised manner with the involvement of all Schools in UUM.

He said the project would be monitored periodically and reports of its activities and effectiveness would be reported to the University and the State Government.

According to him, the cooperation between the State Government and the School was implemented through brainstorming session, for example the Institute of Tun Dr Mahathir’s Thoughts (IPDM) had organised talks to provide input to the members of the State Executive Council on a regular basis.

"I feel that through the 1S1D Programme, community engagements between UUM and the State Government will be made more organised and efficient," he added.

The Vice-Chancellor also extended his heartfelt appreciate gratitude to the Chief Minister and those involved for their tremendous support in making this programme a success.

At the same event, scholarships were also presented to outstanding students who achieved the CGPA of 4.0 in the Malaysian Higher School Certificate (STPM) examination to further their studies at UUM.