IT WAS a long-awaited moment for 167 students who had pursued various courses at the now-closed Sabah Animation Creative Content Centre (SAC3) in Kota Kinabalu when they finally celebrated their graduation recently.
The students had taken the Malaysian Skill Courses levels II and III certificates between 2019 and 2020 but were not allowed to graduate upon completion.
Questions now remain on whether the students will be able to take advanced level courses in the future since SAC3 was closed in 2020 at the height of Covid-19 pandemic.
The institution offered animation, videography, and photography skilled courses, with the courses spanning 18 to 24 months and all the students receiving full sponsorships from the state Economic Planning Unit (EPU).
Established in 2009, SAC3 initially operated under Kolej Yayasan Sabah (KYS) as the implementing agency before being shifted to University College Sabah Foundation (UCSF) in 2014.
All financial responsibilities, encompassing staff emoluments, were covered by the Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority (Sedia), which channelled funds through UCSF to fulfil SAC3's payroll and expenses.
But in 2018, UCSF had run into financial problems. It halved the salary of its staff in 2021 during the MCO lockdown.
Annually, SAC3 contributes over RM3 million to UCSF, with monthly staff salaries totalling RM200,000, inclusive of contributions to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).
But all the issues were resolved following the appointment of the UCSF vice-chancellor Dr Rafiq Idris in 2022.
The graduation ceremony had taken place on February 6 at the Sabah Cultural and Arts Department Auditorium and attended by Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Abidin Madingkir, Sedia CEO Datuk Seri Hashim Paijan, UCSF vice-chancellor Dr Rafiq Idris, and Yayasan Sabah director Datuk Ghulam Haidar Khan Bahadar.
The Vibes made several attempts to seek clarification from Sedia over the matter previously but met with zero response.
The graduation ceremony was also attended by parents and students.
Although it marked a significant milestone, some parents had voiced concerns that their children would have to wait until March of this year to obtain the full transcripts.
They also expressed concerns over whether their children can advance to Level IV and V of the courses. Sedia had been silent on this matter.
Questioned about the possibility of offering advanced courses to the students, Hashim appeared coy but suggested that the students could pursue further studies at other institutions, without specifying which one.
“Yes, yes,” he said when asked whether UCSF would be able to assist the students. – The Vibes, February 9, 2024
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