Sarawak Chief Ministers Office upset it was not consulted on the appointment of Kamal Mat Salih as the fourth chairman of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas).

Sarawak demands answers on appointment of Unimas chairman
FMT Reporters
-January 3, 2020 2:26 PM
Kamal Mat Salih takes over as the fourth chairman of Unimas from Jan 1.

KUCHING: The Sarawak government is seeking clarification from Putrajaya on the appointment of Kamal Mat Salih as the fourth chairman of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas).

The chief minister’s office today expressed regret that Putrajaya had failed to refer the matter to the state government.

“It has to be clarified that the Unimas board chairman has always been appointed after consultation with the state government and the state government was also not officially notified of his appointment prior to the announcement.

“This (consultation) has been the process since the appointment of the first chairman, Bujang Mohd Nor, second chairman Hatta Solhi and the third chairman Sulong Matjeraie whose term was supposed to expire on April 30, 2021,” it said in a statement.


Yesterday, it was reported that Kamal, the chairman of the Malaysian lnstitute of Economic Research (MIER), would be replacing Sulong as the chairman of Unimas’ board of directors.

Sulong, a former federal court judge, had his three-year term cut short on Dec 20 last year, stepping down only after 19 months of being appointed on May 1, 2018.

Kamal will be the first non-Sarawakian to hold the position as his predecessors were all Sarawakians.

He used to serve at Universiti Sains Malaysia from 1973 to 1985 as a professor, dean and deputy vice-chancellor (academic). He also held various positions in government agencies.

The former Wangsa Maju MP (from 1996 to 1999) is set to serve as Unimas chairman for a period of three years starting Jan 1 this year until Dec 31, 2022.