UMP, Kuantan Port signed MoA to enhance corporate governance

Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Kuantan Port Consortium Berhad (KPC) that would involve a study on integrity, governance, risk and compliance be carried out.
The MoU would also involve training aimed at enhancing corporate governance and efficiency as well as help improve accountability among employees towards the organisation and minimise operational cost and reputational risk.
With a pool of researchers having the right expertise from Faculty of Industrial Management (FIM) Governance & Integrity Centre (FGIC) the university was ready to impart its knowledge and skills with KPC management staff.
UMP was represented by its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ir. Dr. Wan Azhar Wan Yusoff and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation), Professor Ts. Dr. Kamal Zuhairi Zamli while KPC by its Executive Director, Wong Soon Fah and Traffic Department Manager, Mohd. Mahayudin Mohd. Hashim.
The MoU was signed on June 21, 2019. Also present was Institute of Postgraduate Studies (IPS) Dean and Head of Researchers, Professor Dato’ Dr. Hasnah Haron.
According to Professor Ir. Dr. Wan Azhar, an organisation would be able to achieve excellence and sustain the high quality if basic issues involving governance, ethics, integrity and transparency were efficiently and effectively managed by those with vested interest and the stakeholders.
“The acculturation and experiencing of values in integrity and good governance is not limited to a certain sector only because the issue is comprehensive in nature that impacts an individual, the society, country, public organisation such as UMP and other organisation such as KPC.
“The diversity in the staff academic background such as management, accounting, finance, economics, applied science, law and engineering is an advantage to enable inter-disciplinary research on governance and integrity be implemented, and this has been made possible following the collaboration established with KPC,” he said.
The Corporate Integrity System Assessment Study carried out is based on the Global Benchmark on Ethics and Integrity framework developed by Joan Elise Dubinsky and Alan Richter (2008/2009).
It covers 13 organisational dimensions.
Training involving ethics, integrity and governance for selected staff would include six modules comprising the concept of ethics and integrity, risk management and anti-bribery management system.
Professor Dato’ Dr. Hasnah also said it was important for an organisation to understand good governance because it would help the organisation to grow as well as able to control and shape management effectively.
She added that both UMP and KPC believed that the finding of the study would have huge benefits to the latter because with the development of a self-evaluation instrument, this could be used to assess and evaluate the level of integrity and ethics at KPC workplace.
Eleven UMP researchers would be involved in the evaluation process in KPC while in the training programme, the management staff would participate in various programmes such as a briefing, seminar and tests.
The study would be carried out in not less than two months while the training programme would be held over six days. The participants would be presented with certificates upon completion.