HIGHER EDUCATION DEPT TEMPORARILY FREEZES ISSUANCE OF NOC TO EGYPT-BOUND STUDENTS

KUCHING (Sarawak, Malaysia), Feb 12 (Bernama) -- The Higher Education Department has temporarily frozen the issuance of Non Objection Certificate (NOC) to new students wanting to pursue their studies in Egypt.

Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the move was part of the department's efforts to re-evaluate the quality of courses offered by several universities in Egypt, besides the appalling lax in security in the conflict-stricken country.

"Right now, we are freezing the issuance of the NOC and the department will send its officials to Egypt soon to re-evaluate the quality of courses offered by several universities there, especially in the faculty of medicine," he told reporters here Friday.

He was commenting on developments involving Malaysian students who had to postpone their studies, following the political unrest in Egypt.

He said the department's officials would also convene discussions with the relevant universities in Egypt on the possibility of allowing the students to temporarily continue their studies at local universities in Malaysia.

Approximately 5,000 out of 11,000 Malaysian students in Egypt are studying medicine and it is estimated that 2,000 Malaysian students are still trapped in Egypt, while the rest have been flown home, he added.