PUTRAJAYA: The government plans to expand the number of universities and polytechnics specialising in technical fields, says Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir.
He said the move will create broader and more robust collaboration opportunities between universities and industry, in line with the Malaysian Higher Education Blueprint (MHEB) 2026-2035.
"The government has also announced plans to upgrade 10 more polytechnics to premier status, allowing them to offer programmes up to the degree level.
"At present, most polytechnics only provide certificate and diploma programmes," he said at the Malaysian Technical Universities Network (MTUN) Academia-Industry Research Conference 2026 here on Wednesday (Feb 11).
The conference is a strategic initiative aimed at bridging the gap between academia and the needs of the technical industry, particularly in the field of advanced Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
During the event, endowment contribution cheques from participating industry partners were presented to MTUN universities, with RM51.86mil awarded to Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (Utem) and RM50,000 to Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM).
The event also saw the exchange of 27 memorandums of understanding and agreement between MTUN institutions and participating industry partners.
MTUN comprises UTEM, UTHM, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah and Universiti Malaysia Perlis.
Addressing concerns surrounding the Universities and University Colleges Act (Auku) 1971, Zambry said he had no issue with student demands, as students are given the freedom to express themselves.
"The Act has undergone several amendments, with the most recent in June 2024, to ensure that students are given freedom in how they want to create their associations and sources of finance," he stated, adding that such freedoms are already being exercised by students.
He also assured that the government continues to engage with student groups and academic staff to gather feedback and consider perspectives from various stakeholders.
On Monday (Feb 9), a group of student protesters called for the abolishment of Auku.
The protesters, who said they belonged to various student groups making up the Abolish Auku Secretariat, walked to the Parliament building to hand over a memorandum of their demands.
