PUTRAJAYA: The Ministry of Higher Education has refuted claims that international students constitute 27% of enrolment at Malaysia’s five research universities.
Director-General of Higher Education Professor Dr Azlinda Azman clarified that total enrolment stands at 180,024 students across these institutions.
She stated that “the combined enrolment at Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) currently stands at 180,024 students, comprising 141,636 locals and 38,388 international students, the latter representing 21.3 per cent of the total.”
International postgraduate students account for 15.8% of total enrolment while undergraduate international students represent only 5.5%.
Azlinda explained that “the five universities prioritise the recruitment of international students at the postgraduate level.”
This strategy has successfully attracted “28,383 international students, who now account for 46.7 per cent of total postgraduate student enrolments.”
She emphasized that international students bring valuable benefits through “diverse cultural and academic perspectives, enriching discussions, and encouraging more innovative approaches to research and problem-solving.”
The admission of international students also contributes to improving universities’ positions in global rankings.
The ministry does not impose any quota or percentage limit on international postgraduate student intake.
Azlinda clarified that “all international students are charged full tuition fees without any government subsidies.”
She added that “admission into any programme must go through a strict screening process and meet both the general and specific requirements set by the respective universities.”
Fees from international students are used to upgrade campus facilities benefiting all students.
This internationalisation policy provides local students with cross-cultural interaction opportunities and global exposure.
The ministry remains committed to ensuring ample opportunities for local students without discrimination.
Azlinda confirmed that “the ministry continues to closely monitor the recruitment of international students at all local universities to safeguard the priority of local students.” – Bernama
