KUALA LUMPUR: No Malaysian students have been involved in the demonstrations that have occurred across Indonesia so far, according to Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir (pic).
He said the ministry, through the Education Malaysia office in Indonesia, conducts constant monitoring in collaboration with Wisma Putra to ensure the safety of Malaysian students.
“We have over 1,200 Malaysian students studying in Indonesia, and so far, alhamdulillah, we have not received any reports of Malaysian students being involved in such incidents.
“However, we continue to monitor developments from time to time because they are not just confined to Jakarta but also involve other areas in Indonesia,” he told the media after attending the launch of the Institute of International and Asean Studies (Iintas) under the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) here yesterday, Bernama reported.
Zambry said Education Malaysia is also in constant contact with the students to provide them with the latest information and to advise them to stay away from the affected areas.
“We pray that Indonesia will return to peace and calm because its stability also benefits its neighbouring countries, like Malaysia,” he said.
Thousands of Indonesians have held demonstrations in the capital and several major cities since last week, as they take to the streets seeking to have their political and economic demands met.
Zambry also read out the text of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s speech about the launch of Iintas.
The Prime Minister said the establishment of the institute under the IIUM is a major milestone in strengthening Malaysia’s leadership within Asean.
The institute, he said, would strengthen Malaysia’s regional role by producing credible research, policy ideas and strategic insights to support Asean’s cohesion and global positioning.
He said in this time of uncertainty, Asean, a long-respected zone of peace and cooperation, faces serious challenges, including recent tensions between Thailand and Cambodia that displaced more than 300,000 people.
“While both sides have agreed to a ceasefire, the region must remain vigilant. Efforts to restore stability must be sustained. Malaysia took early steps by hosting both the Thai and Cambodian leaderships in Kuala Lumpur.
“This was a conscious choice. We are committed to dialogue, to peace and to preserving the cooperative spirit of Asean.
“I believe this is where Iintas can contribute,” Anwar said.
The institute’s launch coincided with the opening of a seminar titled “Asean Futures: Navigating Regionalism, Reconciliation and Rapprochement”, designed to foster critical reflection on the region’s trajectory amid evolving geopolitical dynamics.
Anwar said that the institute could collaborate with other research centres, such as the International Institute of Futures Studies, the Centre for Peace, Dialogue, and Xenophobia Studies, and the Centre for Islam-Confucianism Dialogue, as well as partners, such as the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia, to promote research, dialogue and policy development.
He said the institute should also strengthen engagement with Asean’s Strategic Dialogue Partners, including the United States, China, India, the European Union, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Russia.
