UiTM sends back 16,000 students beginning today

By Nizam Zain

SHAH ALAM – Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) has started to send students back to their respective hometown for the Aidilfitri holidays through Ops Pulang Aidilfitri involving 16,000 students nationwide.

According to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics and International) Professor

Dr Roziah Mohd Janor, the operation involves 2,000 students from the Shah Alam campus itself, beginning today until 12 May.

“The send-off on the first day itself involves 400 students and they will take 13 UiTM busses from the Shah Alam campus to the North Zone.

“The first bus will be sent to UiTM Arau, Perlis, and the next in Kedah, some in the South and some in the East.

“This is followed by the south zone, among them include the UiTM Seremban, UiTM Alor Gajah, UiTM Segamat and UiTM Pasir Gudang,” she told the journalists outside Dewan Agong Tuanku Canselor (DATC), UiTM Shah Alam, today.

Meanwhile, about 640 students or 4 percent out of the 16,000 students from UiTM chose to stay in the campus nationwide.

“Most of these students are from Sabah and Sarawak. However, we are still opening the options for them.

“The Students Affair (HEP) of UiTM will ensure the welfare of these students during the holidays,” she said.

According to her, the HEP UiTM has already planned to have the hari raya celebration with the students who stay in the campus.

“Insya-Allah, the Students Affairs department will determine that. They already have a plan.

“The Islamic Centre will also be opened. Those who have gone for screening may do their Hari Raya Prayer there,” she said.

Meanwhile, throughout the Ops Pulang Aidilfitri, the university will ensure that the students are screened before they are allowed to board the busses.

“We have screened our students as usual. If the students cannot pass the screening, we will detain them and follow the SOP of the National Security Council (MKN).

“As of today, all students screened are free from Covid-19 symptoms,” she said.

To ensure the safety throughout the journey, UiTM also conducts urine test on all its drivers.

“We have recorded and at the same time, all drivers who went for urine test were negative. They are also free from Covid-19 symptoms. We pray that they can reach their destination safely.

“At the same time, there is an officer appointed from relevant department who will be accompanying the each bus,” she said.

“It is not cheap to send students back to their hometown. The bus that sends students to the north will bring students there to return to Shah Alam the next day in order to optimise our expenditure.

She added, UiTM will not be sending the students back to their homes, on the contrary, they will be placed at the UiTM campus before they are being picked up by their parents.

“Upon reaching the destination, we won’t be sending them home. They will be sent to UiTM campus and from there, their family can pick them up.

“The process of will be screened at the entrance of the campus. Auxiliary police are placed there since the beginning of Movement Control Order (MCO) yesterday,” she added. –MalaysiaGazette