BESTOWAL OF ROYAL PROFESSOR TITLE AN INSPIRATION TO ACADEMIC COMMUNITY - ZAMBRY

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 23 (Bernama) -- The historic bestowal of the rank and title of Royal Professor to Muslim philosopher and founder of the Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC) Tan Sri Dr Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas will serve as a catalyst and inspiration for the entire nation, particularly the academic community.

In fact, Minister of Higher Education Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir said it is hoped that this honour will stimulate the development of scholarship and intellectuality in the country, thus contributing to the elevation of the culture of knowledge in Malaysia.

He said with the bestowal of the rank, the government also awarded a grant of RM500,000 to Syed Muhammad Naquib in recognition of his contributions to education.

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“He is a highly respected and esteemed contemporary thinker of Islamic civilisation both locally and internationally, and has introduced the concept of the Islamisation of knowledge, which has been integrated into various branches of knowledge, including religious education, history, philosophy, theology, metaphysics, philology, semantics, literature, and arts.

“His legacy is invaluable to the field of Malay literature and civilization studies,” he said at the conferment of the rank and title ceremony at Istana Negara today.

In this introduction speech, Zambry said Syed Muhammad Naquib, 93, received his early education at the  English College Johor Bahru, now known as Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar, in 1946.

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He later earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the Universiti Malaya in Singapore in 1957 before pursuing postgraduate studies in 1960 at McGill University, Canada, and subsequently at the University of London, United Kingdom, in 1963.

Meanwhile, Zambry also expressed the highest gratitude to His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia and the Conference of Rulers for consenting to the bestowal of the title of Royal Professor to Syed Muhammad Naquib.

He also thanked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the Unity Government for initiating the proposal for the bestowal of the title.

Royal Professor is the highest and most esteemed professorship in Malaysia, bestowed by the King, and only distinguished professors who made valuable contributions to the people and the country are eligible to hold this title.

The first and only person awarded the title before was Syed Muhammad Naquib’s cousin, the late Royal Professor Ungku Abdul Aziz Ungku Abdul Hamid in 1978.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) in a statement said Syed Muhammad Naquib was  one of the key figures in the establishment of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

According to the statement, he contributed to the development of the university's policies, philosophy, and logo, with the motto Zidni Ilman (increase me in knowledge) in 1970.

“Now, UKM is one of the leading research universities in Malaysia, producing educated human capital both nationally and internationally.

“He was also the individual responsible for presenting the conceptualisation of an Islamic university at the First World Conference on Muslim Education at King Abdul Aziz University, Makkah, in 1977, which led to the establishment of several Islamic universities worldwide, including in Malaysia,” the statement said.

-- BERNAMA