Foreign campuses allowed to open

Foreign campuses allowed to open

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia is soon to allow foreign universities to set up branches in the country in a major policy change analysts said could help cut down the overseas-education bill and save foreign exchange.

"Besides cutting down the 2.5 billion ringgit (US$1 billion) annual outflow due to Malaysians studying abroad, the move could help produce more skilled personnel to help Malaysia's industrialization pursuits," a private educator said yesterday.

Education Minister Najib Tun Razak said late Wednesday that the cabinet had approved the draft of two education bills that would also allow local private organizations to apply to establish universities in the country.

He said that the government would, however, only allow "premier and sound foreign universities with good financial backgrounds, infrastructure and expertise in the science and technology fields to set up branch campuses."

Malaysia has some 60,000 students studying overseas.