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Shophouses may be Utar campus

KAMPAR: The temporary Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) campus here may be located at two blocks of four-storey shophouses at Bandar Baru Kampar. 

Utar chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ling Liong Sik said the shophouses, which belonged to Kampar MP Tan Sri Hew See Tong, were still under construction. 

“The shophouses, which are located opposite the Tunku Abdul Rahman College campus, will be renovated to be used for Utar if it was found to be suitable,” he said, adding that Hew was offering the premises at an annual rental of RM1 per block. 

POSSIBLE SITE: Dr Ling (centre) and Hew (second from left) showing drawings of the shophouses in Kampar. The shophouses, which are still under construction, are considered for use as a temporary Utar campus.

Dr Ling said Utar would examine the shophouses before making a decision. 

“I think the buildings are suitable for Utar. The shoplots, which can accommodate 5,000 students, are expected to be completed by 2004,” he said during a press conference after visiting Utar’s main campus site here yesterday. 

Dr Ling added that 3,800 students were currently studying at the temporary Utar campus in Petaling Jaya. 

“This year alone, 3,400 new students have registered for various courses,” he said. 

“We are renting some places near the current campus to cater to the increasing number of students.” 

Dr Ling said the Utar Complex in Setapak, which could accommodate 5,000 students, would be ready by the end of the year. 

He said a structural master plan for the Utar campus here would be submitted to the Perak state government by today. 

“We hope to start construction on the university campus by October.  

“We want to build the campus as quickly as possible because we are facing a lack of space at the Petaling Jaya campus,” he said, adding that Utar was expected to have 10,000 students by next year, 15,000 in 2005 and 18,000 in 2006. 

Dr Ling also said that he would be going overseas for a week to study the set-up of various universities. 

“Utar starts from zero so we have the power to shape it into whatever kind of university we think is most suitable,” he said.