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UUM ONLINE: Alor Setar - In a bid to help the frontline personnel fight curb the outbreak of the Covid-19, Â鶹ֱ²¥ (UUM) came to the aid of 200 personnel namely the police and media practitioners in the state of Kedah.

Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dato' Dr. Ahmad Bashawir Abdul Ghani expressed his heartfelt gratitude and appreciate to the Kedah Police Chief for giving UUM the opportunity to render its assistance in the form of face masks, hand sanitizers and food kits to the frontline personnel.

According to him, the masks were produced by UUM volunteers comprising staff and students.  They were produced for the use of security forces who were striving hard to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In addition, he said the hand sanitizers were also manufactured by UUM researchers as hand sanitizers can be difficult to obtain. Therefore, the initiative taken by UUM was expected to brighten and boost the spirit of frontline personnel including friends from the media who have also helped the government fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Vice-Chancellor also commented on the possibility of the government considering permitting a total of 100,000 students from both public and private universities from across the country to return to their respective hometowns, as mentioned in a press conference by Senior Minister of Defense, Dato' Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

“There are a total of 4,200 students still on campus and they are in good health, just longing to go back to their hometowns and this is normal.

"However, as stated by the Senior Minister of Defense, the government is ready to consider allowing students to return back to their hometowns but the exercise must follow the standard operating procedure (SOP)," he said at the UUM Cares: Presentation of Covid-19 Aid to Kedah State Frontline Personnel programme  at the Kedah Contingent Police Headquarters (GPA).

He said if the government allowed students to return home, the university had taken several steps including providing bus services to help students return to their respective hometowns.

Meanwhile, Kedah State Police Chief, Dato' Zainuddin Yaacob expressed his heartfelt gratitude to UUM for generously donating face masks, hand sanitizers and food to the police.

"I am grateful that UUM's efforts have not only involved the staff but also the students who contributed their time stitching and making face masks as well as hand sanitizers," he said.

In another development, Kedah State Police Chief said that no permit had been issued to the people of Kedah to allow them to return to their respective hometowns to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan as the Movement Control Order (MCO) was still enforced.

Also present at the event were Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student Affairs and Alumni), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hendrik Lamsali; the Registrar, Mr. Baharudin Yaacob; the Director of Innovation and Commercialisation Centre (ICC), Prof. Dr. Razamin Ramli and the Director of UUM Corporate Comm., Mdm. Rasidah Rodzi.