SINTOK: The Sultan of Kedah, Al-Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah today reminded the people the importance of understanding history, describing it as the very foundation of the nation.
Sultan Sallehuddin, during his royal address at the Universiti Utara Malaysia's 35th Convocation Ceremony, shared the struggle of Sintok's past and urged the people to reconnect with the history of the area.
"On this occasion, I would like to share the history of this land called Sintok. As Abraham Lincoln once said, "We cannot escape history."
"This saying should be understood and internalised, for knowledge of our past can help us govern and manage our future more effectively.
"History forms the foundation of a nation. Marcus Garvey, a nationalist leader, stressed the importance of history as the root of a people's identity when he said, "A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots.
"Sintok holds a special place in my heart because it is here that I fought alongside my comrades, the security forces, to liberate Sintok from threats," he said in his opening royal address at the start of the five-day convocation ceremony.
Sultan Sallehuddin recounted Sintok's past from its days as a remote forested border area to a battleground against the Malayan Communist Party armed insurgency.
The establishment of Universiti Utara Malaysia in 1984 marked a historical transformation for the area, becoming a catalyst for local and international prosperity.
"Now, everything has changed. On Feb 16, 1984, UUM was established and has since become a catalyst for the prosperity of the local community. Since its establishment, this university has benefitted the people of Kedah, Malaysia, and even at the international level.
"Sintok has become a centre for community and local and global transformation. The core of this transformation lies in the belief that education provides answers to the diverse problems faced by society today," he added.
Commenting further, His Majesty lauded UUM's proactive role in introducing and implementing various transformative initiatives for the community and society.
"Whether through development activities, professional training, or consultations, the main concept is to solve local issues by changing attitudes, practices, and behaviors through scholarly input from research and intellectual property creation.
"Indeed, UUM, which stands proudly in Sintok, is expected to continue to actively transform society through knowledge transfer based on the principles of Knowledge, Virtue, and Service," he added.
Meanwhile, Sultan Sallehuddin extended his highest congratulations to UUM graduates and to all those directly or indirectly involved in making their dreams come true.
"Before me today are learned leaders who hold Doctorates, Master's degrees, and academic excellence awards from UUM.
"In line with the vision and mission of UUM, I hope that you are all determined to become leaders in service to society. Today is indeed a special day for the graduates and their families," he added.
A total of 6,694 graduates will receive their scrolls in this year's convocation, which commences today and will be concluded on Thursday at Dewan Mu'adzam Shah.
From the total, 5,743 will graduate from undergraduate programmes, 1,198 from distant-learning programmes and 951 from post-graduate programmes.
For the first day of convocation, 82 graduates received their scrolls from Sultan Sallehuddin.