PEKAN: Social and Cultural Affairs Advisor to the Government Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim said yesterday students in institutions of higher learning should have high moral character.

He said most university and college students today lacked basic virtues, such as being well-mannered and helpful.

“Nowadays, our focus is more on the pursuit of worldly knowledge through the Internet and such, to the extent that we have forgotten basic virtues.

“University students today are no longer taught basic virtues; there is no syllabus on basic virtues in the university,” he said after officiating the “Kembara Akar Budi” programme of the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) in Kampung Baru Salong, here.

Rais, who is also the IIUM president, said IIUM was drawing up a syllabus on basic virtues in its induction programme.

“We, in IIUM, are drawing up the syllabus so that our students will be well-mannered and have good values, so that the Malaysian civilisation can be revived.”

On the four-day Kembara Akar Budi programme which began on Thursday, Rais said it was being held for the first time and, would be expanded to other states in the future.

He said besides the gotong-royong and foster child programmes between IIUM students and villagers, the programme would also include cooking demonstrations by famous chefs and religious talks. Bernama

-NST