Establishment

Scuba diving activities at UMT have a long history that goes back to the time UMT was first established. When UMT was still known as UPM’s Terengganu campus, a scuba diving unit was set up to help students obtain the recreational diving certificates. After the name was changed to UMT, there was a need to establish a diving school considering that the scuba diving activities were no longer limited to recreational diving. UMT Diving School is under the supervision of the Director of the Centre for Research and Field Services (CRAFS) Associate Professor Dr. Hasrizal Shaari. He said the establishment of the diving school began with the set up of UMT Dive Centre in 2018 after approval was given during the university’s management meeting. After the official formation of the centre, UMT’s management instructed that the scuba diving equipment be centrally kept so the process of acquiring, maintaining, and monitoring would be more convenient. On 8 August 2022, UMT Diving School became a reality after its officiating ceremony was held at UMT’s Marine Natural Research Station on Bidong Island. The ceremony was completed by His Royal Highness Sultan of Terengganu.

Roles

Different from scuba diving centres normally found at resorts, the school plays a wider role at UMT. The school offers more holistic services to help with the teaching and learning, research, generation of income, and university’s image.  

Recognitions

The recognition of UMT Diving School as a five-star dive centre by Scuba Diving International (SDI) will further improve UMT’s visibility at the national and global levels. In addition, it will help the school to play a bigger part in the underwater ecosystem conservation initiative. The recognition will also pave the way for the school to help with the state’s edu-tourism through scuba diving activities.

The recognition by SDI came after UMT was awarded in 2018 as an entity that had trained the most SDI scuba diving students. The award was presented to the university by the regional SDI.

Earlier, UMT’s involvement in scuba diving activities have been recognized at the international level when head of UMT’s Diving and Field Division Baharim Mustapa has been appointed as one of the members of the international ISO working group.

Future Directions

As a professional entity, UMT Diving School will endeavour to promote and improve several important scuba diving categories, including edu-tourism, underwater archaeology, scuba diving for medical practitioners, and scientific diving. The school’s long-term plan is to obtain recognitions from government agencies and international bodies as a leading scuba diving training centre.  

Services

The main function of the school is to provide scuba diving licensing service to UMT students at a reasonable fee. In addition, the school provides training to public and private agency staff who need it to fulfil their job requirement or as part of their recreation. Other services offered are scuba diving equipment rental, underwater photography and videography, and salvage and excavation of underwater archaeological artefacts.

Impact

As UMT is the only university in Malaysia to have received a five-star recognition for its scuba diving centre, the recognition will give a direct impact to the university. It aims to become the pioneer in safe diving activities that comply with the guidelines and standards set by international bodies.

First University to Receive ISO

In addition, UMT is the first public university to receive the ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management System) certification for the scope “Management of Training Related to Scuba Diving Licensing Course” and this has been acknowledged by the Malaysia Book of Records. A staff from the school has represented Malaysia under the Department of Standards Malaysia to develop the international ISO for scuba diving.

Aspirations

According to UMT Vice Chancellor Prof. Dato’ Dr. Mazlan Abd Ghaffar, UMT also plays a role in educating the public to appreciate the marine ecosystem.

UMT will continue to play its role in educating the public to appreciate the marine lives, such as the clownfish, and control invasive activities. The school will be further enhanced to support the process of teaching, learning, and research that are in line with UMT’s niche area.

“Congratulations to the Centre of Research and Field Services, CRAFS, UMT, and UMT community on the commitment given that made possible the achievement of the recognition.”

UMT community is also urged to give the highest commitment and dedication to support UMT’s effort to be at par with other leading universities. One of the ways is through the scuba diving activities at Bidong Island, which is filled with historical heritage, unique nature, and underwater archaeological artefacts.

Published by:

Corporate Communications Office
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu