A History of Islamic Studies in Malaysia

Abstract

At present Malaysia has nine public or government universities and two institutes. They are Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Sai s Malaysia (USM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Univesiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Institut Teknologi MARA (ITM), and Institut Teknologi Tun Hussein Onn (ITTHO). (KPM1998/99, 1-164). Malaysia also has six pri vate universities and many private institutes and colleges. The private universities are International Islamic University Malaysia (HUM), Uni versiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP), Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN), Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (UNITAR), Universiti Telekom Malaysia (UNITELE) and Universiti Monash in Malaysia. (Utusan Malaysia 4/5/1998, p. 26). Although Malaysia has nine public universities and six private univer sities, only two public universities UM and UKM and one private univer sity namely HUM offer Islamic studies leading to the bachelor, master and doctoral degrees. The other public universities in Malaysia either of fer Islamic education or courses in Islamic Civilisation to their students; the Islamic courses are either part of the General Studies or the University Courses. According to Dr Abdul Halim Mat Diah, Datuk Sri Dr. Ma hathir Muhammed asked the public universities in Malaysia to offer courses in Islamic Civilisation for Muslim and non-Muslim students. (Abdul Halim 1989, p. 27). The private colleges and universities in Malaysia are also required to offer Islamic education for Muslim students and Moral education for non Muslim students starting in January 1999. Malaysian Education Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was reported on March 30, 1998 to have said To ensure private colleges and universities offer holistic education in line with the country's objectives, they have to teach Pendidikan Islam [sic Islamic education], Pendidikan Moral [sic Moral education] and Ma laysian Studies from Jan 1 next year [sic January 1999]... Malaysian Muslim students are required to take Pendidikan Islam and non-Muslims the Pendidikan Moral both to be taught in Bahasa Malaysia... Students need only take the subjects... they need not pass it [sic them] as their di