Zakaria Kasa was a former vice-chancellor of University Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) in Malaysia. He served at UPSI from 2007 to 2018.
Bio/Wiki
Age-67 years
Height-N/A
Weight-N/A
Born-1957
Birthplace- Kodiang, Kedah, Federated Malay States
Profession-Professor
Nationality-Malaysian
Cause of death
Zakaria Kasa, aged 67, passed away from heart disease just three days after being acquitted of an abuse of power charge. Zakaria’s son, Fauzi, aged 34, stated that his father’s final moments were spent surrounded by family members at the Slim River Hospital.
“My father had been battling heart disease for several years. After the court case on Thursday, he returned to Tanjung Malim (Muallim), but on Friday, he fell unconscious and was admitted to the hospital,” he said when contacted by Bernama .
Wife
His wife’s name is unknown, and they have six children.
Education
He attended Tunku Bendahara Primary School, Kodiang, Kedah (1964 – 1969), Tunku Bendahara Secondary School, Kodiang (1970 – 1972), Ibrahim Secondary School, Sungai Petani, (1973 – 1974), and obtained a Diploma in Agriculture from Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (1975 – 1978).
He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education (1978) and a Master’s degree in Technical and Vocational Education in 1980 from Louisiana State University, Louisiana, USA. He completed his Ph.D. in Technical and Vocational Education (1993) from Ohio State University, Ohio, USA.
Career
Previously, he was a lecturer at UPM (1982) and served as the Dean of the Faculty of Educational Studies at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). He was seconded to UPSI as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International) of UPSI (2007 until August 31, 2011).
He conducted over 35 research projects sponsored by various organizations, including the Ministry of Education Malaysia, Department of Islamic Development, Prime Minister’s Department, International Labour Organization (ILO), German Development Service, Ministry of Higher Education, Economic Planning Unit, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Additionally, more than 140 of his research writings have been published in books, journals, modules, seminar papers, and conference papers.
He participated in curriculum development related to agriculture, agrotechnology, technical and vocational education, and served as a Panel Advisor for Cluster Schools of Excellence and Curriculum Assessment at Teacher Education Institutes.
He also held the position of Chairman of the Cluster for Education and Human Capital Development, National Professor Council. His focus was on improving primary education from Year 1 to Year 3 by emphasizing mastery of reading, writing, and arithmetic skills, as well as soft skills including the appreciation of moral values and etiquette.
He served as the Chairman of the Council of Deans of Education Faculties of Public Universities and was the President of the Technical and Vocational Education Association of Malaysia. Additionally, he chaired the Cluster for Education and Human Capital Development, National Professor Council.
Over 35 research projects across various aspects of the field of education had yielded numerous journal and book publications.
Zakaria Acquitted of Power Abuse Allegations by Court of Appeal
The Court of Appeal acquitted Zakaria of the accusation of abusing his power, which involved including his son’s name in a list of job interviewees at the university a decade ago, and he was discharged of the charges.
Net Worth
At the time of his death, Zakaria Kasa’s net worth was estimated to be $5 million.
