Kota Belud-born Kamarudin is UMS new vice chancellor
KOTA KINABALU: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) deputy vice chancellor (Academic and International) Professor Dr D Kamarudin D Mudin has been appointed as the university's fifth vice chancellor.
Kamarudin will officially assume duties on June 18, a statement from UMS said.
The tenure for his predecessor Professor Datuk Dr Mohd Harun Abdullah ends on June 17.
Kamarudin who hails from Kota Belud will be the third Sabahan appointed as UMS vice chancellor after Datuk Harun and Professor Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Kamaruzaman Hj Ampon.
Kamarudin, a trained anaesthesiologist, served for 12 years at Queen Elizabeth Hospital before joining UMS in 2004. He is the first Sabahan trained as an anaesthesiologist.
The 49-year-old Kamarudin, a Special Grade C professor (Medical) with speciality in anaesthesiology, was the former Dean of UMS Medical and Health Science Faculty before his appointment as deputy vice chancellor in 2015.
Kamarudin's appointment was officially announced by the Ministry of Higher Education yesterday, ending Sabahans' anxiety over whether a local would be appointed.
Many quarters, including Barisan Nasional and opposition leaders, said the appointment of a non-Sabahan would be a disrespect to the people of Sabah and make it seem as if there was no local person qualified for the post.
The matter was brought to the state cabinet's attention, with Chief Minister Musa Aman saying he had raised the issue with the federal minister concerned and voiced expectations that the next vice-chancellor should be from Sabah.