Tun Arshad bin Ayub ( ms, أرشد بن أيوب, label=
Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; 15 November 1928 – 14 June 2022) was a Malaysian academician and educator. He was a founding father of the
Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) where he was its director from 1967 to 1975, later served as its
Pro-Chancellor from 2000 to his death in 2022. He was widely known as the national education icon.
Early life and education
Arshad was born in
Muar,
Johor
Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the northwest. Johor shares maritime b ...
, on 15 November 1928, in a family of moderate rubber tappers. He was the eldest son, and he was brought up in an atmosphere of hardship and poverty.
After the death of his parents, he was assigned the responsibility of raising his four siblings.
Arshad received his primary education at Sekolah Kebangsaan Parit Keroma, Muar, Johor. He received his secondary education at the
Muar High School, Johor. Subsequently, he attended the University of Malaya,
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
(present day
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national public research university in Singapore. Founded in 1905 as the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, NUS is the oldest autonomous university in th ...
) from 1949 to 1951. He received Diploma in Agriculture from the College of Agriculture,
Serdang, Selangor (present day
University of Putra Malaysia) in 1954. The previous year, he had been awarded a
Colonial and Development scholarship to study at the
University of Wales
The University of Wales (Welsh language, Welsh: ''Prifysgol Cymru'') is a confederal university based in Cardiff, Wales. Founded by royal charter in 1893 as a federal university with three constituent colleges – Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff � ...
,
Aberystwyth,
UK (present day
Aberystwyth University
Aberystwyth University ( cy, Prifysgol Aberystwyth) is a Public university, public Research university, research university in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding member institution of the former federal University of Wales. The universi ...
). He graduated there with an honours degree in Economics and Statistics in 1958.
In 1964, he obtained a diploma in Business Administration from the Management Development Institute,
Lausanne
Lausanne ( , , , ) ; it, Losanna; rm, Losanna. is the capital and largest city of the Swiss French speaking canton of Vaud. It is a hilly city situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, about halfway between the Jura Mountains and the Alps, and fac ...
(present day
International Institute for Management Development).
He was a Member of the
Aberystwyth Old Students' Association and was elected as President (2001–02).
Career
Arshad was
Pro-Chancellor of the
Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) from 2000 until his death in 2022. He was also Chairman of PFM Capital Propriety Limited, Chairman of
AmanahRaya Investment Bank Limited and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the
University of Malaya
The University of Malaya ( ms, Universiti Malaya, UM; abbreviated as UM or informally the Malayan University) is a public research university located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the oldest and highest ranking Malaysian institution of highe ...
.
Honours
Honours of Malaysia
* :
** Companion of the
Order of the Defender of the Realm
The Most Esteemed Order of the Defender of the Realm ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Pangkuan Negara) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country. The Order Motto are 'Dipeliharakan Allah-Pangkuan Negara' (By the Grace ...
(JMN) (1971)
**

Commander of the
Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (PSM) – Tan Sri (1980)
**

Grand Commander of the
Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (SSM) – Tun (2020)
* :
**

Commander of the
Order of Kinabalu (PGDK) – Datuk
*
**

Knight Companion of the
Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang (DSAP) – Dato'
* :
**

Knight Commander of the
Order of the Crown of Terengganu (DPMT) – Dato'
* :
**

Knight Grand Commander of the
Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Kelantan
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...
(SPSK) – Dato'
* :
**

Knight Commander of the
Order of the Crown of Perlis (DPMP) – Dato' (1974)
* :
**

Knight Commander of the
Order of the Crown of Johor (DPMJ) – Dato'
* :
**

Knight Commander of the
Most Exalted Order of the Star of Sarawak (PNBS) – Dato Sri (2007)
* :
**

Knight Grand Commander of the
Order of the Crown of Selangor (SPMS) – Dato' Seri (2009)
* :
**

Principal Grand Knight of the
Order of Loyalty to Negeri Sembilan (SUNS) – Dato' Seri Utama (2013)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arshad Ayub
1928 births
2022 deaths
Malaysian people of Malay descent
Malaysian Muslims
Universiti Teknologi MARA faculty
People from Johor
University of Malaya alumni
Alumni of the University of Wales
Alumni of Aberystwyth University
Commanders of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia
Grand Commanders of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia
Knights Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of Sarawak
Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Selangor
Commanders of the Order of Kinabalu
Companions of the Order of the Defender of the Realm
Knights Commander of the Order of the Crown of Terengganu
Knights Commander of the Order of the Crown of Johor