LONDON: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that policy and systemic changes in the United States (US), including in the education sector, should be viewed as opportunities to explore the advantages of education in other countries.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said this includes exploring new opportunities in the United Kingdom (UK), which has long established educational cooperation with Malaysia.
“We know that MARA (Majlis Amanah Rakyat) has decided to stop sending its sponsored students to the US. My approach is this: when there is a threat, there is always an opportunity. We have to look at the other side of the coin.
“In situations like this, I believe the UK education system, which we are familiar with, can be put to good use,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also National Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Committee chairman, said this during a press conference after chairing a meeting with the Malaysian delegation in conjunction with his four-day working visit to the UK starting today.
Yesterday, MARA chairman Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki announced that MARA will stop sending its sponsored students to the US starting this year, following the introduction of new policies and directives under President Donald Trump.
Previously, the Trump administration issued an order to halt the processing of all foreign student visas and was reportedly considering screening new applicants based on their social media posts.
Ahmad Zahid also said he would use his working visit to broaden cooperation in the field of TVET, particularly in exploring new areas such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, robotics and green energy in collaboration with UK universities.
“There are many new technology sectors, especially in green energy, that have already been implemented here and from which we can learn. We hope programmes like ‘training the trainers’ (ToT), for example, will bear fruit once they have undergone courses here,” he said.
Among the key items on Ahmad Zahid’s itinerary in the UK are meetings with representatives of leading institutions such as University College London, delivering a public lecture on Malaysia’s TVET direction and engaging with MARA-sponsored students.
