Zambry: Public varsities cannot cut local quotas

The Star

2 days ago

Future of technology: Zambry (right) opening the symposium at Setia Spice Convention Centre. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: There will be no compromise on the quotas for local students in public universities, even as these institutions welcome foreign students, says Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir.
Dismissing claims of an influx of foreign students in public universities, particularly from China, he said Malaysians are prioritised as determined by Unit Pusat Universiti (UPU), the centralised admission system.
'Public universities exist first and foremost to serve the children of Malaysia.
'As such, there is no truth to claims of an influx of foreign students in public universities,' he said at a press conference after launching the 32nd International Sympo­sium on the Physical and Failure Analysis of Integrated Circuits held at the Setia Spice Convention Centre here yesterday.
Zambry was responding to questions raised during parliamentary debates and recent public concerns, including those voiced by MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
He said the enrolment of international students from over 150 countries is in line with the government's internationalisation policy and does not affect the intake of local students.
He denied that public universities were reducing local student intakes in favour of international enrolment for financial reasons.
'The government has set clear intake targets and fee structures.
'Public universities are not permitted to reduce local quotas to accommodate foreign students for profit. That is against policy,' he added.
Earlier, Dr Wee had highlighted statistics from a recent study by the Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research (Insap), MCA's research think-tank, which revealed a worrying trend.
Dr Wee said the sharp rise in foreign student enrolment at Malaysian public universities is outpacing that of local students, raising red flags about allocation of placements.
Insap research shows that the percentage of increase in intake of foreign students rose much faster than the rate of increase for students under UPU.
According to Insap, the number of Malaysian students enrolling in public universities saw a modest increase from 2018 to 2024.
Enrolment grew from 172,719 students in 2018 to 191,450 students in 2024.
This represents a total increase of 10.8%, which corresponds to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of just 1.73% – a relatively slow rate of growth.
In contrast, the enrolment of non-Malaysian students during the same period saw a significant rise, from 10,003 students in 2018 to 19,731 students in 2024 – a total increase of 97.3%, or a CAGR of 11.99%.
Dr Wee raised concerns that the growing preference for international admissions could be edging out deserving Malaysians from opportunities in taxpayer-funded institutions.
'I am not against the intake of international students. I am concerned over the use of open channels by public universities for student admissions, mostly due to insufficient funding.
'When their enrolment seems to be replacing spots meant for Malaysian students, it becomes an issue that needs addressing.
'The government must ensure universities are adequately funded so they don't have to resort to selling placements,' he said.