The Netherlands Maritime University College (NMUC) expects to welcome more than 3,000 students at its second campus in Radia Bukit Jelutong, Selangor, Malaysia by the first quarter of 2023.
NMUC, on January 4, inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Sime Darby Property Sunrise Development, a joint-venture company formed by UEM Sunrise and Sime Darby Property, to set up the campus.
Executive chairman of NMUC Dato’ Captain Razali Yaacob said the university is awaiting approval from Malaysia’s Ministry of Higher Education, which may take between six and nine months.
Razali told Maritime Fairtrade: “If we start the first intake in September (this year), there will possibly be about 1,000 students for this campus (in Radia Bukit Jelutong) alone. The number of students will be divided between the campus in Johor Bahru and the one in Bukit Jelutong accordingly, depending on the courses and seniority of the students which can only be finalized in the middle of this year.”
Razali also hopes that restrictions on the entry of international students to Malaysia will be lifted. “They (international students) will most likely make up 10 percent of the total in 2022 and up to 30 percent in 2023,” he added.
Under the MoU which was signed in Bukit Jelutong, NMUC will take up a total of 24 commercial units at Radia Bukit Jelutong with a gross development value of RM 27.6 million (US$6.6 million) under a special Rent-To-Own scheme. With a built- up area of 34,358 sq. ft., the space acquired by NMUC spans from the seventh floor to the ninth floor of the block.
“One good thing with Radia is that they have many floors which could be quickly renovated for us if we need more space,” said Razali.
Proximity of new campus to Port Klang
Razali, who signed the MoU on behalf of NMUC, said that with the partnership with UEM Sunrise and Sime Darby Property, the university is looking forward to continuing its efforts to provide industry-ready graduates to the maritime and logistics industry in the Klang Valley.
With the opening of NMUC’s second campus at Radia, Bukit Jelutong, the university hopes to provide not only a wide variety of maritime transportation, shipping and port management, maritime law and occupational safety and health diploma and degree courses, but also introduce more courses in the future to further contribute to the human capital needed to revolutionize Malaysia’s maritime industry.
“Its location that is in close proximity to Port Klang will provide students with the opportunity to explore career opportunities while having a clear vision of what is needed in playing their roles to ensure that the global supply chain continues to flow seamlessly,” Razali said.
Malaysia is a top maritime hub
According to Razali, the concept of maritime education in Malaysia is a highly-specialized notion which has a unique purpose of producing graduates who will be able to immediately adapt to the logistics, shipping and maritime field upon graduation.
“However, it should be noted that Malaysia’s maritime and trade history is deeply intertwined with global maritime trade. The discovery of the Maritime Silk Road in 2000 BCE, where the East and the West were connected through various trade activities saw Southeast Asia playing a crucial role as the meeting point for traders of the past.
“This led to the reign of Malacca in the 16th century as a sea trading port that saw traders and explorers from China, the Middle East and Europe come together to exchange goods, spices and wares.
“Five centuries later, Malaysia remains at the epicenter of the global maritime trade with Port Klang and Port of Tanjung Pelepas qualifying as two of the top 20 busiest ports in the world.”
Even with the devastating effects of Covid-19, Razali said that the Port of Tanjung Pelepas saw its ranking jumped in Lloyd’s List from the 19th to the 15th busiest port in the world. Port Klang also handled a record breaking 13.64 million TEUs in 2021, surpassing its previous record.
“Maritime and Malaysia are synonymous. 90 percent of global trade by volume and 94 percent of global trade by value are attributed to seaborne trade and Malaysia’s role in its endurance is crucial.
“Thus, we are honored to be given the opportunity to collaborate with companies within the UEM and Sime Darby groups as we embark on a voyage through the waves of advancements in maritime education.
“Among their many successes, UEM has played a vital role in helping to establish Iskandar Puteri, a beacon of modernization and economic growth in Johor. NMUC also shares its roots with Iskandar Puteri with our first and main campus that is located in the heart of the Johor Bahru city center. In the last decade, we have seen our students graduated from our halls and ventured into various maritime-related sectors.”
Razali said that NMUC’s location near Port of Tanjung Pelepas and Johor Port has helped provide first-hand opportunities for its graduates to further excel in their career goals through its programs that feature direct access to the industry. EduCity at Iskandar Puteri has been a great partner from the beginning since 2010, in providing extraordinary support to NMUC’s outstanding growth in Johor.
EduCity is Asia’s first multi-campus education city with 305 acres of universities, higher education institutions, research & development centers, student village, EduCity Hub as well as EduCity Sports Complex.
