HIGHER EDUCATION MINISTRY TO REVIEW FOREIGN STUDENT INTAKE LICENCE

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 13 (Bernama) -- The Higher Education Ministry will review all
licences for foreign student intake issued to institutions of higher education
to firmly establish Malaysia's position as a foremost centre for higher
education in the region.

Its minister, Mohamed Khaled Nordin, said the government will determine
which universities were qualified to bring in foreign students.

"We are in competition to attract foreign students here. So if our system
of
higher education is not of quality, if the infrastructure is not good, if the
university is not ready to accept foreign students, we will face problems," he
said.

Mohamed Khaled said this to reporters after launching a book titled
"Mengangkasa Pengajian Tinggi" (Taking Higher Education to Great Heights) by
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia vice-chancellor Prof Dr Zaini Ujang here
Friday.

He said to date 200 licences had been issued to institutes of higher
education involving 60,000 students.

Mohamed Khaled also said the move was part of a ministerial study on the
issues, challenges and efforts to handle the matter of foreign students in the
country.

"Universities that have a large international student population can
organise cultural and community programmes to reach out to and expose foreign
students to local culture and communities," he said when asked to comment on
problems faced and raised by foreign students in the country.

A local newspaper Friday reported African students from Botswana as saying
they had been badly treated by Malaysians.

"Foreign students need to understand Malaysia's cultures and the people
should accept and understand that they are in our country and as such people
must not view them suspiciously and have a negative perspective towards them,"
he said.

Earlier, Mohamad Khaled said the book launched Friday could be a guide to
the government and especially to the ministry to continue to improve and
transfrom local higher education.
-- BERNAMA