KOTA KINABALU: Graduates should improve their English proficiency as it is an important international language, says Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) pro-chancellor Tan Sri Azman Hashim.

       In reminding graduates to always improve their English proficiency, he said that the level of English proficiency has declined significantly in Malaysia over the years.

       "The level of English proficiency in the international medium of instruction is now showing a significant decline," he said when speaking at the graduation of 764 students under Session 3 of the 22nd UMS Convocation Ceremony here Monday (March 28).

       Azman said that there were many graduates who showed "low performance" during job interviews in English which were widely used in businesses.

       "During international conferences, people from Thailand and Indonesia are asking us why our English proficiency has gone down," he said.

       Azman also told the graduates that their graduation did not mean their learning process had stopped.

       "It marks the next phase in your learning process. Yes, learning is a lifelong thing. Like me, a lot of things I learned before are no longer relevant. I'm learning a lot of new things," he said.

       “In the world of business and economics, I have to learn about the world of cyberspace, cyber security, artificial intelligence (AI), cryptocurrencies, bitcoins, computing, drones, aerial spraying, and food delivery,” he added.

       He also said that graduates must observe and practise high levels of integrity and avoid a culture of corruption," he said at the convocation that was attended by the UMS vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Taufiq Yap Yun Hin.

       UMS graduation ceremonies are being held in sessions from Sunday (March 27) and will be completed on March 31.