UiTM vice-chancellor Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar sent out an official notice on the controversial Ibrahim Ali award on June 9 this year, despite purporting the matter had yet to be approved by the university senate.

NONE A copy of the notice - entitled Ibrahim Ali Leadership Award in conjunction with the UiTM convocation and signed by Sahol - was obtained by Malaysiakini .

It was sent to all UiTM campuses, departments and faculties nationwide, according to the source who provided the notice.

"This is to inform that Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali has offered to sponsor RM5,000 annually to students in recognition of their commitment and contribution towards the upliftment of their race.

"He has suggested that this award be given at every convocation, unless there is no candidate who qualifies for the award (that year)," read the notice.

NONE Attached to the notice were guidelines on the Ibrahim Ali Award and nomination forms. 

Recipients of the notice were asked to disseminate the information to students, and submit the completed nomination forms to UiTM's Institut Pemikiran dan Kepimpinan Melayu (Impak) before July 1.

In an immediate response to the disclosure of the notice, Sahol told Malaysiakini that the notice was merely a "survey" to gauge the response of lecturers to the award.

The notice was also aimed at determining whether there would be any nominations for the award, Sahol said further.

Sahol reiterated his statement yesterday that the university senate and board of directors have not given the green light for the award to be introduced.

He explained that the notice is part of the normal process, which is to assess the response of lecturers and students before the award proposal is referred to the senate which will call a meeting next week.

NONE “Ibrahim ( left ) is our alumnus, I cannot just brush him aside. If I don’t do this (survey), people in Perkasa would question us. They would ask ‘why are we discriminated?’,” he said when contacted this afternoon.

“But so far there is no nomination,” he added.

The professor in civil engineering further explained that senate may come out with three decisions - accept Ibrahim’s proposal, accept the award without using Ibrahim’s name, or completely reject the proposal.

“So far the general impression is ‘no’. I have talked to about one-third of the senate members and they were against the award,” he said, adding that the university has offered no award from any politician.

“Personally I don’t want this award but it depends on the senate,” said Sahol.

NONE Asked whether the controversy has tarnished UiTM’s image, portraying it as a university that supports racism, the Penangite quipped that he is not an ‘ultra’ as some people might think.

“I can speak Hokkien and Mandarin, and my wife is a Chinese. I have many Chinese friends and I respect them,” said the cheerful professor.

The introduction of the award in the name of the Pasir Mas Independent MP has received brickbats from several quarters, including from within BN as well as opposition figures.

They were of the view that the lawmaker does not deserve such recognition as they have perceived some of his statements as being harmful to national harmony and unity.