The Higher Education Ministry in Malaysia Imposes Ban on New University Campuses

The Higher Education Ministry in Malaysia has announced that it is imposing a “moratorium” on the opening of new University campuses.

Malaysia’s Higher Education Minister, Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, told reporters “No more building or opening of new campus,” adding that “Only if you are the top 100 in the world, we (the ministry) are willing to consider. Or if you can convince the Cabinet,” he said

Idris says the moratorium is based on there being “enough universities and colleges in the country” with 400 private colleges and universities in the country.

Malaysia is a popular campus destination for foreign institutions, including Heriot-Watt University, the University of Nottingham, Raffles Univeristy and the Dutch Maritime Institute of Technology, who all have local partnerships or a local campus of their own in the country.

Despite the ban, Malaysia hopes to become the “regional hub of higher education” by attracting 200,000 foreign students by the year 2020.