GUIDEBOOK FOR ARAB STUDENTS IN MALAYSIA

By Salbiah Said

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 (Bernama) -- A lecturer from King Faisal University of
Saudi Arabia has produced a guidebook to prepare students from the Middle East,
particularly those from Saudi Arabia, for academic life in Malaysia.

Hani Al-Mulhim, of the university's faculty of education, said the 'Guide
for the Saudi Student' which is written in Arabic, was his contribution towards
his community and was an effective way of strengthening ties between Malaysia
and Saudi Arabia.

Al-Mulhim, currently pursuing his doctorate (Ph.d.) in Islamic Studies
(Usuluddin and Comparative Religion) at the International Islamic University of
Malaysia (IIUM) told Bernama recently that the book was distributed free to
Saudi Arabian students, noting that there were more than 800 Saudi Arabian
students in various institutions of higher learning in the country.

According to available figures, Malaysian institutions of higher learning
are hosting 19,467 Middle East students as of April 2009. The Malaysia Education
Promotion Centre (MEPC) in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, is targeting to have
25,000 students from the Middle East by the end of this year.

The book, which receives the support of the Ministry of Higher Education and
the Saudi Arabian embassy here, provides basic information for Arab students to
settle down in Malaysia, such as university registration procedures, Malaysian
culture, laws, banking, transportation, immigration, food and places of
interest in Malaysia, the author said.

Malaysia's Deputy Minister of Higher Education Saifuddin Abdullah in his
message says the initiative is in line with the ministry's vision to turn
Malaysia into a centre of excellence for higher education.

"The ministry also encourages the internationalisation of Malaysian Higher
Education institutions by attracting more international students and raising the
strategic relationships between local and foreign higher education institutions
in terms of research, development and commercialisation," Saifuddin adds.

In his message, Saifuddin also thanked IMAF Sdn Bhd for taking the
initiative in promoting Malaysia as a preferred destination for Saudi Arabia to
pursue higher education at the tertiary level and beyond.

IMAF was incorporated in 1998, as a trade gateway between the Arab world and
Malaysia, China plus the other Asean countries. It is a platform to Southeast
Asians and Arabs to meet potential business partners, establish joint ventures
and network within the business community.

Apart from Malaysia the other Asean member countries are Brunei, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam

"By deciding to send students to Malaysia in general and to the
International Islamic University in particular, I am certain that the government
of the King of Saudi Arabia has made a strategic right decision which will bear
fruits in the near future," says IIUM Rector, Prof Dr Syed Arabi Idid in his
foreword
-- BERNAMA