Now Reading
Mat Sabu’s Suggestion To Revert UPM To “Universiti Pertanian” Draws Criticism

Mat Sabu’s Suggestion To Revert UPM To “Universiti Pertanian” Draws Criticism

Mohamad Sabu feels it’s appropriate to change Universiti Putra Malaysia back to its original name in light of the current national focus on food security and agriculture advancements.

Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter, or Telegram and WhatsApp channels for the latest stories and updates.


The proposal to change Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) to its original name, Universiti Pertanian Malaysia, will be presented to the cabinet for discussion.

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said it seems appropriate to revert to the university’s original name given the current national focus on food security and the advancement of Malaysia’s agricultural sector.

Perhaps when the name was changed, we did not consider issues like climate change. Now, agriculture has become a global issue. The UN (United Nations) and everyone else is discussing agriculture.

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu

Mohamad Sabu shared this with the media after delivering a keynote address and moderating a session on food security during the seventh parallel session of the Malaysia Ideas Convention (MyIDEAS) on Thursday (28 November).

On 3 April 1997, the university’s name was changed to Universiti Putra Malaysia to better reflect its broad range of programmes beyond agriculture, such as science and information technology.

Currently, UPM has 14 faculties offering various agriculture and food security programmes, including smart farming and artificial intelligence (AI) applications in agriculture.

Mohamad Sabu’s suggestion to revert the university’s name drew various reactions. A netizen said the rebrand would make no difference but would only cost the university more money to change its official letterheads, certificates, signboards, and more.

Another person brought up the alleged lack of local rice in the market, sarcastically saying the name change would not suddenly result in the availability of local rice. Many think the rebranding exercise is a waste of time and attention should be given to more important issues plaguing the country.


Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s FacebookTwitterInstagram, or Threads.

Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.

© 2024 The Rakyat Post. All Rights Reserved. Owned by 3rd Wave Media Sdn Bhd