M'SIAN STUDENTS ENCOURAGED TO RETURN TO UK AFTER SUMMER BREAK

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 (Bernama) -- Malaysian students scheduled to return
next month to the United Kingdom, especially London, after their summer break
are encouraged to do so despite the riots in several areas near London,
Britain's acting High Commissioner to Malaysia Ray Kyles said Thursday.

He said these students and the new ones were advised to consult the
Malaysian authorities here and in the UK on the latest developments pertaining
to the situation.

"Despite the situation, the students are encouraged to go (and continue
their studies in the UK). The situation is a lot calmer now.

"We have 16,000 policemen on the streets in London and the situation is
under control," he told a news conference, here.

The new academic year in the UK begins in mid-September.


Kyles said students and visitors should stay away from the troubled areas.

A protest over the police shooting death of a youth in Tottenham last
weekend had erupted into riots which spread to areas near London.

On the updates to the recent changes to the Tier 4 student visa system,
which will take effect next year, Kyles gave the assurance that the changes
would have limited impact on Malaysian students.

He said the visa rejection rate so far this year for student applicants was
one to two per cent.

"The good news for Malaysia is that it has established a strong reputation
for the quality of its predominantly degree-level and post-graduate students, so
these changes will have limited impact.

"We continue to value highly the thousands of genuine Malaysian students who
come to the UK each year to study. As well as developing their own skills and
potential, they make great contributions to educational life in the UK," he
said.

Tier 4 visas replace the UK student visa service and place more emphasis
upon the responsibility of the educational body in question for the applicants
they permit to study. The aim of this tier immigration service is to provide a
more user-friendly, transparent route to studying in the UK.

Restrictions to the Tier 4 visa application are aimed at curbing abuse of
the permits.

The total number of Tier 4 visas issued in 2009 was 5,889, he said, adding
that it had increased to 6,354 in 2010.

The number of student visa applicants from Malaysia was also expected to
increase starting next week, he said.

Some 13,500 Malaysian students are studying in the UK.