By Dr. Suhaila Mohd.Yasin
BATU PAHAT, 1 July 2025 – Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) has taken a significant step by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA) to collaborate on cybersecurity.
The MoU exchange was officially conducted during the launch of the Cyber Defense and Security Exhibition and Conference (CYDES 2025) at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC).
This MoU will facilitate collaboration between UTHM and NACSA in areas such as industrial training, work-based learning, education, staff exchange, research, professional certification, publications, and advisory services.
These efforts will focus on data science, information security, web technology, software engineering, multimedia and other related fields.
During the signing ceremony UTHM was represented by Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ts. Dr. Rasid Abdul Razzaq, while NACSA was represented by Chief Executive Officer, Ir. Dr. Megat Zuhairy Megat Tajuddin.
The MoU exchange was witnessed by Dato’ Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, who officiated the conference previously.
The MoU signing was also involved five other local public and private higher education institutions.
The collaboration has already yielded tangible outcomes, with Prof. Ts. Dr. Rabiah Ahmad, UTHM’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), invited as a panelist at the ASEAN Cyber Security Forum 2025 (ACSF) during the conference opening day.
Additionally, Ts. Dr. Zubaile Abdullah, Deputy Dean of Academic and International Affairs at UTHM’s Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology (FSKTM), was also invited as a panelist at the Malaysia Cyber Security Strategy Forum 2025 (MCSS) on the second day.
This partnership is expected to synergise efforts in expanding approaches, knowledge and expertise in information security among academics, government personnel, and the broader community, particularly within the education sector.
It will also enhance the preparedness of information security graduates to meet current industry demands.
This collaboration reflects both institutions’ commitment in supporting the government’s vision of prioritising cybersecurity as a key regional agenda, highlighted by Zahid Hamidi in his keynote address at the conference.
