KUALA LUMPUR: Initiatives to enhance Bahasa Melayu as the language of knowledge will be extended to private institutions of higher learning (IPTS), says Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
The Higher Education Minister said one of the early actions would be to open the selection process for the annual recipient of the Tokoh Akademik Bahasa Melayu Award to include academics from IPTS from 2024 onwards.
"As its long-term plan, the ministry will also develop an action plan to promote Bahasa Melayu in IPTS," he said when launching the Action Plan to Promote Bahasa Melayu as the Language of Knowledge in Public Institutions of Higher Learning (IPTA) 2023-2030 at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) on Thursday (June 15).
With the launch of the action plan, the ministry recommended that the teaching of compulsory subjects in IPTA be conducted in Bahasa Melayu.
"It is also recommended that the passing of the Bahasa Melayu subject as the basic level of communication be made a graduation requirement for international students studying undergraduate programmes here," he said.
The newly launched action plan was a continuation of the Action Plan for Enhancing Bahasa Melayu as the Language of Knowledge in Higher Education Institutes (IPT) 2011-2015 and the Action Plan to Dignify Bahasa Melayu as the Language of Knowledge in Public Universities 2016-2020.
Eleven strategies and 26 initiatives have been outlined by the ministry for implementation in IPTA.
