Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has appointed Dr Muhammad Najib Razali as the Director of Real Estate at the Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying for the next three years effective July 1.

Muhammad Najib, 44, is the first person with a disability (PwD) to be appointed to the post since it was established in 1973. He lost his right leg due to a bacterial infection in 2010 while studying in Australia.

“This appointment is an important recognition for the disabled community, not only in UTM but also in Malaysia, as it proves that they are able to be independent in the academic and professional world.

“UTM’s trust in Muhammad Najib to lead the real estate portfolio in UTM is a high recognition of the disabled community, and proves that disability and physical limitations do not prevent him from carrying out academic work just like other academicians,” the university said in a statement today.

Muhammad Najib, an alumnus of UTM, earned his degree in property management from the university, before graduating as a Doctor of Philosophy in Real Estate Economics and Finance from Western Sydney University, Australia.

Muhammad Najib is also very active in speaking at professional conferences, with his expertise being in property management, real estate investment and state housing issues.

He is also a member of the expert panel in the National Real Estate Research Coordinator (Naprec), under the Ministry of Finance Malaysia.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency