OFFICIAL LAUNCH: YB P.Kamalanathan P. Panchanathan, Deputy Education Minister II (left) officiating the launch of Politeknik Merlimau as MyCenTHE’s fifth cluster leader while Dato’ Peter Ng, founder of UCSI University – champion of EPP10 (most right) and

GROUP PORTRAIT: (Front row, from left): Associate Professor Dr Ratna Roshida Abd Razak, head, Programme Management Office, Ministry of Education; Major (K) Zolkarnain Hj. Jobshi, director of PMM; YB Datuk Wira Hj. Yunos bin Husin, State Exco for Education

MERLIMAU: As part of its efforts to reshape tourism and hospitality education in Malacca, the Malaysian Centre of Tourism & Hospitality Education (MyCenTHE) has appointed Politeknik Merlimau (PMM) as its fifth cluster leader. 

MyCenTHE is an institution that aims to improve the quality of tourism and hospitality education and promote work-based learning through strategic partnerships with renowned industry players on the local front. 

Part of a government initiative under the Economic Transformation Programme for the Education National Key Economic Area (NKEA), the project – namely, Entry Point Project 10 (EPP10) – hopes to increase the annual output of skilled hospitality workers in Malaysia to 50,000 people by 2020. 

The launch of PMM as the cluster leader in Malacca was officiated by YB P.Kamalanathan P. Panchanathan, Deputy Education Minister II. 

He highlights that MyCenTHE is the chosen one-stop centre to prepare work-based learning programmes through strategic collaborations with the main players in the tourism industry in Malaysia. 

Currently, there are five MyCenTHE clusters based in Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Negeri Sembilan and Malacca and he points out that more clusters will be launched in other states within the next two years. 

Dato’ Peter Ng, founder of UCSI University – champion of EPP10, adds that this launch is especially meaningful and significant, especially in terms of the development of institutes of higher learning (IHLs) and academic institutions in the country. 

“PMM is the first public institution to join MyCenTHE and it is hoped that this will be a starting point for more IHLs – both public and private – to work together.” 

Other prominent industry leaders who were also in attendance include Associate Professor Dr Ratna Roshida Abd Razak, head, Programme Management Office, Ministry of Education; and Dr Lu Huong Ying, president of MyCenTHE, to name a few. 

Notably, the Tourism and Hospitality department at PMM offers four diploma programmes, namely, Diploma in Tourism Management, Diploma in Hotel and Catering Management, Diploma in Food Practice (Halal Service) and Diploma in Event Management.