6 February 2019; The establishment of the second public university in Malaysia was decided when the government realised the importance of science and technology to the slowly developed nation in the period between 1950s and 60s. The Cabinet later approved the setting-up of a new university in Penang in 1962 with the creation of the Higher Education Planning Committee to consider the proposal of an institution in the state. From 1962 until 1969, negotiations as well as meetings were carried out with the federal government together with the then Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman.