Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) graduates were urged to eschew abuse of power and corruption, as these practices would hinder economic development and quality of life of the community.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Ahmad Bashawir Abdul Ghani said more and more evidences show that corruption has become one of the main reasons that stunt economic growth, lose the interest of investors, increase administrative costs and deny the people from getting services as well as prompt political instability.
 
"Many countries are bequeathed with a wealth of resources but because of corruption, the country becomes backwards and poor. If the country's wealth is misappropriated and its wealth vanishes, this may lead to further setback and poverty will continue to spread," he said.
 
He added that the lack of integrity has become part of the culture practiced by a number of community members in the country.
 
"Greed and egotistical attitude are also causes that contribute to such problem for individuals. With greed, one loses consideration when looking for ways to gain wealth while their ego will cause them to be blinded by their own weaknesses and make it difficult for them to receive reprimands," he explained.
 
According to the Vice-Chancellor this matter will indirectly impede the development of an institution.
 
Hence he implored that all graduates to take in lessons learnt from the abuse of power and corruption by adhering to the principle of integrity in order to become a dignified society and avoid the huge and long-lasting cost effects on the nation.
 
The Vice-Chancellor said this at the eighth session of the 31st. UUM Convocation Ceremony which saw a total of 845 graduates receiving their respective degrees.