Tunku Imran to be installed as Chancellor of WOU

GEORGE TOWN, July 18 (Bernama) -- Tunku Tan Sri Imran Tuanku Ja'afar  will be installed as the fourth Chancellor of Wawasan Open University (WOU) during a special ceremony to be held at the main campus on August 1.

Tunku Imran will  take over from Tun Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah whose tenure ended in December 2018. The ceremony will also witness the proclamation of Dato’ Dr Lim Thuang Seng as the second Pro-Chancellor of WOU, taking over from Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.

Koh, who is also the WOU Board of Governors Chairman, today said the university was greatly privileged to have Tunku Imran as its Chancellor for his illustrious leadership experience as an avid promoter and administrator of sports at the national and international levels, a passionate developer of education and a successful entrepreneur.

He said the Chancellor will carry out a number of important duties for WOU, such as raising the University’s profile and advancing its interests, both nationally and internationally, as well as conferring degrees and other academic awards at University ceremonies.

“WOU is an extraordinary not-for-profit private university known for its mission to serve the public good. It is a place where students receive an excellent, holistic education that prepares them for life and for careers in the 21st Century,”he added.

Tunku Imran, born in 1948, is the third child of Tuanku Ja’afar, the tenth Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia and the tenth Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan. Malaysia’s first king, Tuanku Abdul Rahman was his grandfather.

Tunku Imran’s leadership in sports has been long and most outstanding, having led the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM), the Malaysian Cricket Association and the Squash Rackets Association of Malaysia for many years; elected and served as an International Olympic Committee (IOC) Member, as the President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, SEA Games Federation and World Squash Federation, as well as the Vice President of the Asian Cricket Council, amongst many others.

In education, he is a founder of the prestigious Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar, launched in 1989, serving on its boards of trustees and governors, and as the Chairman of its Development Committee. In business, he founded and led the Antah Group of Companies, a large conglomerate with diverse interests and was the former Chairman of Lafarge Malaysia Berhad, which is Malaysia’s biggest cement company. Currently, he leads Syarikat Pesaka Antah Sdn Bhd and is the Chairman of Yayasan Sime Darby.

Koh said two distinguished leaders, Tan Sri Emeritus Prof Dr Gajaraj Dhanarajan and Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Hussain, will be conferred the Honorary Doctor of Education and Honorary Doctor of Business degrees respectively.

Gajaraj is the founding Vice-Chancellor of WOU (2006 - 2009) and Rashid is the former Executive chairman of RHB Group of Companies.

-- BERNAMA