KUALA LUMPUR: Local students will continue to be prioritised in admissions to all public universities, says Datuk Mustapha Sakmud.

The Deputy Higher Education Minister stressed that the ministry would continue to closely monitor the intake of international students at public universities to ensure that Malaysians take precedence.

As of Dec 31, 2024, a total of 180,024 students were enrolled in the country’s five research universities at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Of this number, 141,636 (78.7%) were local students, while 38,388 (21.3%) were international students.

Mustapha clarified that international student intakes at the undergraduate level remain limited – at just 8.4% – as bachelor’s degree programmes at public universities were designed primarily for Malaysians, who also receive government subsidies.

In contrast, there is no quota at the postgraduate level for international students pursuing master’s and PhD programmes as universities compete globally through the internationalisation of higher education.

“The issue often raised is when the overall figure is quoted by combining both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. That’s why the number appears large, at around 20%.

“But when you break it down, you can see that international students at (the) undergraduate level make up less than 10%,” he said.

Mustapha was speaking during the committee-stage winding-up of the 2026 Supply Bill for the ministry in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (Nov 27).

He added that international students pay full tuition fees without any government subsidy.

“Malaysia’s internationalisation policy is aimed at positioning the country as a global higher education hub, but this does not come at the expense of local students’ access to education,” he said.