Malaysia Looks at Increasing Number of Indian Students in Institutes of Higher Learning

The Malaysian government is looking into ways that can help increase the number of Indian students in matriculation colleges as well as public institutions of higher learning (IPTA), Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said on March 24.

Since the admission of Indian students in IPTA has not been within the target of 7 per cent till now, the government is planning to increase the number of matriculation places for them, Razak said on the sidelines of an event in Putrajaya, Malaymail Online reported.

The target that Indian students should comprise 7 per cent intake at public universities within the next 10 years was set by the government in 2009. “We hope through various intervention, Indians can achieve the target in the near future,” Razak said, according to the Star Online.

“As an inclusive government, we have always ensured no one should be left behind in the development of the country,” he said, adding that 100,000 households of the Indian community with the median income of the bottom 40 per cent (B40) would be able to participate in a special investment scheme in Amanah Saham 1Malaysia (AS 1Malaysia ) to be launched on April 7.

The AS 1Malaysia program seeks to provide regular and consistent income stream while preserving the unit holders’ investment capital over a long term through a diversified portfolio of investment.

“Further announcements would be made on the date. So far, 411.14 million units of shares have been subscribed by the Indian community through a distribution of 1.5 billion units of additional A1SM for the Indian community on Jan. 29 this year,” Razak said. “This is a very encouraging achievement. So, believe me that I want each Malaysian including the Indian community to feel hopeful for all in the country.”

Razak added that the government will always check on the needs of all groups present in the country. “For the Indian community, the government launched the Malaysian Indian Blueprint (MIB) on April 23 last year with progress made in several areas,” he said.

The MIB focuses on a multi-sphere upliftment of the bottom 40 per cent (B40 group) over 10 years. A nationwide survey of 2,087 respondents was conducted in 61 Parliamentary constituencies, which have a collective Malaysian Indian population of 1,290,195, to gather comprehensive on-the-ground knowledge of what is required or lacking within the bottom 40 (B40) in the Indian community.

According to Razak, it is his vision to provide the right kind of education to the Indian community, including higher education and vocational training so that everyone can make use of their maximum potential.

“Secondly, we need the support of the local community and family, because if you are a fractious community who do not support one another, then it is difficult to uplift the fortune of the community. You need to rally and work together, and the social as well as family values are important,” he said, the Star Online reported.