GEORGE TOWN: There will be no compromise on the quotas allocated for local students in public universities, even as these institutions welcome foreign students, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.
In dismissing allegations that there is an influx of foreign student enrolment in public universities, particularly from China, Zambry said they continued to prioritise Malaysians, as determined by the Unit Pusat Universiti (UPU) centralised admission system.
"We have never compromised the quotas allocated for local students.
"Public universities exist, first and foremost, to serve the children of Malaysia.
"As such, there is no truth to claims of influx in foreign student enrolment at public universities," he said during a press conference held after the 32nd International Symposium on the Physical and Failure Analysis of Integrated Circuits (IPFS 2025) at the Setia Spice Convention Centre on Thursday (Aug 7).
Zambry was responding to questions on parliamentary debates and public concerns raised recently including by MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
Zambry said while Malaysia currently hosts international students from over 150 countries, their enrolment was in line with the government’s internationalisation policy and does not affect the intake of local students.
Zambry further denied that public universities were reducing local student placements in favour of international enrolments 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 said.
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 Malaysia’s public universities is outpacing that of local students, raising red flags about allocation of placements.
Insap’s 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% per year – 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.
This considerable jump reflects a total increase of 97.3%, with a CAGR of 11.99% per year.
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 that universities are adequately funded so they don’t have to resort to selling placements," he said.
