Thousands of Foreign Students Waiting for Entry

Thousands of foreign students are waiting to enter Malaysia to pursue their higher education despite the border closure due to the pandemic, the number of new applications started rising since May. A check with Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) showed that a total of 6,088 students have applied this year to enrol in degree programmes.

Statistics on foreign students application

Assoc Prof Dr Grace, the Economic Department head from Monash University Malaysia said the admission of foreign students could help in the recovery of the higher education sector and rejuvenate the economy. USM senior lecturer Dr Abdul Rais said the increase in international applications was good for the country’s foreign exchange. The benefits of growth, he said, were multifold.

EMGS chief executive officer Mohd Radzlan said the country was back on track to achieve the government’s 2025 target of attracting 250,000 international students here. Set up in 2012 as a company limited by guarantee under the Higher Education Ministry, EMGS, as the official gateway for international students, was looking to make the country a thriving education hub.

He stated international students know that Malaysia was handling the pandemic well and that the country was safe. Mohd Radzlan added that the Malaysian hospitality, English being widely spoken, and being a country with diverse culture and traditions made the country a popular choice for international students.

Additionally, on July 29, EMGS announced that new international students can register to come but entry to Malaysia is on hold until further notice. Also that they could carry on with online lessons as per their registered higher education institution’s preference. Existing international students, however, can return.