JOHOR BAHRU: The Rukun Negara Secretariat (SRN) will be expanded to all higher learning institutions to instil and strengthen the spirit of unity among the community, especially IPT students.

National Unity Minister Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique said a total of 187 SRNs have been established at public and private IPTs, including polytechnics, matriculation colleges, community colleges and Teacher Education Institutes (IPG).

"We created the secretariat at IPTs with the hope that these students will be able to become our unity ambassadors and strengthen the National Unity Agenda. Also, to enable many activities to be held under the Semarak Unity programme.

"We know that these students consisted of various races and religions, so hopefully, IPTs will become an integration site that produces the outcome expected in the National Unity Agenda."

She said this to reporters after officiating at the Keluarga Malaysia Unity Debate of the 2022 National Unity Minister's Cup at Sultan Iskandar Hall, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) in Skudai here today. Also present was UTM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Fauzi Ismail.


Halimah also said that starting this year, participating IPTs will receive the SRN Activity Grant to design community programmes based on the modules that will be launched soon.

Meanwhile, Universiti Malaya was named the winner of the debate competition and brought home the SRN Activity Grant worth RM20,000, RM5,000 in cash, trophies and a certificate.

The International Islamic University Malaysia emerged as runner-up to receive the SRN Activity Grant worth RM10,000, RM3,000 in cash, a trophy and a certificate.

Nur Hannani Zulkifli from IPG's International Languages Campus was named the Best Debater.

-- BERNAMA