University of Malaya 1949 to 1985: Its Establishment, Growth and Development

University of Malaya 1949 to 1985: Its Establishment, Growth and Development is about the University of Malaya from 1949 to 1985, with special reference to the University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and its early establishment, growth, and development. The latter was the only University in Malaysia up to 1968. It began as the Kuala Lumpur campus of the former University of Malaya in mid-1957. The Non-Faculty Department of Engineering was moved then from Singapore to occupy a building of 65,000 square feet. The building was designed by the Public Works Department of the Government and built under its supervision in the record time of six weeks. The building, with renovations and extensions, is still being used by the Faculty of Engineering.

In January 1959, the former University was reconstituted as a University with two equal and autonomous Divisions, one in Singapore under the name of “University of Malaya in Singapore” and the other in Kuala Lumpur under the name of “University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur”. On 1st January 1962, the University was split into two separate national universities. The Division in Singapore became “University of Singapore” (now the National University of Singapore or “NUS”). The Division in Malaya retained the name of “University of Malaya” or “UM”, becoming the National University of Persekutuan Tanah Melayu (Federation of Malaya).

University of Malaya 1949 to 1985: Its Establishment, Growth and Development also recall some former employees of the University and some outside people who contributed significantly in one way or another to the early establishment and growth of the University and its Medical Centre. Many of these people are no longer with us.

This book has been written in the way suggested in the early 1950s by the author’s Professor of History, Professor Cyril Northcote Parkinson, the Raffles Professor of History (and creator of Parkinson’s Law). Professor Parkison had suggested then that the early history of the University should be written in chronological order as it had happened, and not changed in any way.