KUALA LUMPUR: The number of private higher education institutions registered under the Private Higher Educational Institutions Act 1996 (Act 555) has fallen to 359, following a review by the Higher Education Ministry.
Its Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, said the move came after the ministry found the number of these institutions had previously been excessive, requiring a reassessment of their operating status.
He said of the 359 institutions, 65 are universities, 39 university colleges, 11 overseas branch campuses and 244 colleges.
"In fact, we have already reduced the number. When I first came in, I found there were far too many. So we asked for a review of the position of these universities. We directed those no longer functioning to close.
"... and as of Sept 30, a total of 348,496 local students and 75,721 international students were pursuing their studies at the 65 university-status IPTS," he said when winding up the committee-level debate on the Supply (Budget) Bill 2027 and the 2027 Development Expenditure Estimates Motion for the Higher Education Ministry in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (Nov 11).
In a separate development, Zambry said the government is adopting various approaches to speed up the provision of student accommodation, including through public-private partnerships (PPP) and private finance initiatives (PFI).
He said five new residential colleges at public universities are being built under the 13th Malaysia Plan through PPP, with a combined capacity of up to 21,000 students.
On graduate employability, Zambry said the Graduate Tracer Study System recorded 217,768, or 92.3%, of new Malaysian graduates securing employment in 2025, while 18,279, or 7.74%, were still unemployed.
Earlier, during the debate session, several MPs raised issues related to the Universities and University Colleges Act (Auku), exemption from National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loan repayments and research funding.
They also highlighted the development of higher education institutions in Sabah as well as student welfare, including accommodation, scholarships and financial aid.
Also raised were the legal basis for the establishment of private universities in Malaysia and the Higher Education Ministry's jurisdiction in regulating their operations, particularly regarding the medium of instruction, fee-setting and monitoring mechanisms to ensure such institutions comply with national policy and aspirations.
The Dewan Rakyat then approved the Higher Education Ministry's operating and development expenditure estimates totalling RM19,085,572,100 for 2027 by a majority voice vote, after debate by 21 MPs.
The Dewan Rakyat sitting resumes Thursday (Nov 12). — Bernama
