KUCHING, Feb 16: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) plans to offer a Bachelor of Education in the Iban language in the first semester of the 2025/2026 academic year, said the university’s vice-chancellor, Professor Dr Ahmad Hata Rasit.
In a statement today, Ahmad hoped that the programme offered by its Education, Language, and Communication Faculty would address the current shortage of Iban language teachers in the State.
“The faculty also plans to set up the Jabatan Bahasa-Bahasa Borneo (Borneo Languages Department), which will include the Iban, Bidayuh, and Melanau languages as well as the Sarawak Malay dialect,” he said.
He said this during a courtesy visit to Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who also is the Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development Sarawak and Unimas Pro-Chancellor, today.
Ahmad Hata elaborated that Unimas would add another Iban language programme, Bahasa Iban for Communication Profession, as an elective course.
“This course would be offered to all students during the first semester of the 2024/2025 academic year,” he said.
Uggah recently suggested that Unimas come up with an Iban language programme to produce more teachers in the language.
Unimas Board of Directors chairman Tan Sri Datuk Panglima Sulong Matjeraie; deputy vice-chancellor (student affairs and alumni) Professor Dr Al- Khalid Othman; dean of the Faculty of Education, Language, and Communication, Prof Dr Ambigapathy Pandian; and lecturers Dr Remmy Gedat and Dr Santrol Abdullah were present. — DayakDaily
