KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has proposed that Universiti Malaya (UM) alumni contribute financially to the university's endowment fund.
As an alumnus himself, he suggested that cabinet members who graduated from the university should each donate RM10,000, while other alumni earning more than RM10,000 a month could contribute RM1,000 each.
"If we consolidate all contributions, I believe we can raise up to half a billion for the university's fund," he said during the UM alumni dinner tonight.
Anwar said that the suggestion was not meant to shift the government's responsibility, but was a response to the RM1.5 billion debt inherited from the previous administration.
He expressed hope that once the economy improves, more funds could be allocated to the university.
He also called for the efficient management of the endowment fund to ensure its optimal use.
The event was graced by the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, who is also the UM Chancellor.
Other prominent alumni in attendance included Deputy Prime Ministers Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, and Human Resources Minister Steven Sim.