KUALA LUMPUR: Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) will work closely with the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) to closely monitor the situation involving its scholars in the United States following the introduction of new policies under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Its chairman, Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, said that so far, MOHE has assured that the impact on Malaysian students in the US remains minimal.
“We are working closely with the ministry because this is a government-to-government issue. We are concerned about our scholars in the US, as policies can change at any time, but the most important thing is to avoid exposing them to greater risks.
“Alhamdulillah, we hope there will be no adverse effects on our students. Let them complete their studies first. However, for new scholars, we have decided to put a hold on sending them there for now,” he told reporters after the MARA-Petronas Automotive Entrepreneur Development Programme (PUMP) here today.
Asyraf said this when asked to comment on the potential impact of the new US tariffs and policies on Malaysian students pursuing education in the country.
On June 1, Asyraf announced that MARA had decided to halt sending students to the US starting this year and had begun discussing with students at its preparatory colleges to explore alternative study destinations.
This move comes in the wake of the Trump administration’s directive to suspend visa processing for all foreign students and considerations to screen new applicants based on their social media activity.
