The National Higher Education System

The National Higher Education System

Higher Education in Malaysia
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the Malaysian higher education sector has grown tremendously during the past one decade and Malaysia is fast becoming a centre of educational excellence in the region. The recent launch of “Strategic Plan for Higher Education: Laying the Foundation Beyond 2020” outlines the measures and strategies that will make Malaysia an international centre of educational excellence.

Malaysia’s higher educational institutions currently house an estimated 942,000 students of which about 50,000 are international students from more than 100 countries. There are about 50,000 Malaysia students studying overseas. The higher education sector in Malaysia is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE). The education sector has always enjoyed the highest national development budget which symbolises the commitment of the Malaysian government towards education.

With a multi-ethnic population of about 27 million , Malaysia has 20 public universities, 32 private universities and four foreign university branch campuses; 485 private colleges, 22 polytechnics and 37 public community colleges as at June 2007. These higher education institutions (HEI) offer a wide range of tertiary qualifications at an affordable cost. There are also various higher educational institutions from the UK, US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany and New Zealand which offer twinning and ‘3+0’ degree programmes through partnerships with Malaysian colleges and universities. Four of the 20 public universities (UM, USM, UPM and UKM) in Malaysia have been assigned research university status with additional funding for R&D and commercialisation of research. The ministry plans to identify one or two Apex universities within the period of the Ninth Malaysian Plan.

The Malaysian Qualifications Agency (which is the merger of Lembaga Akreditasi Negara and the Divisions of Quality Assurance of MOHE) is the national quality agency which was recently approved by the Parliament to implement the Malaysian Qualifications Framework (w.e.f. 1-11-2007) covering both public and private higher educational institutions, accreditation of courses and other related functions. The provision of higher education is currently regulated by some of the following legislations:
1. The Education Act 1996 (Act 550)
2. The Private Higher Educational Institutions Act, 1996
3. The National Council of Higher Education Act, 1996
4. The National Accreditation Board Act, 1996 (replaced with the Malaysian Qualifications Agency Act 2007)
5. The Universities and University Colleges (Amendment) Act, 1996
6. The National Higher Education Fund Corporation Act, 1997 (Amendment 2000)
To transform Malaysia into a centre of educational excellence and to internationalise the higher education sector is a high priority for MOHE. Efforts have been made to improve the world ranking of Malaysian universities; to have 100,000 international students by 2010; to create more ‘Malaysian Chairs’ in overseas universities; and to collaborate and cooperate with world-renowned universities on research and academic matters. Other initiatives include the setting up of education promotion centres overseas, opening of offshore Malaysian university branch campuses in other countries and increasing trans-national education collaboration with overseas institutions as well as aggressively promoting Malaysian higher education in many parts of the world through road-shows.

Public and private educational institutions play an equally important role in the provision of tertiary education to Malaysian youths and adults. As for the international arena, private higher educational institutions play a bigger role in attracting international students to study in Malaysia.


Definition of Malaysian Higher Education under MOHE
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Tertiary education in the national education system which is directly under the jurisdiction of the MOHE comprises post-secondary education right up to higher education. Tertiary education in Malaysia also includes skill training which is outside the domain of MOHE.
Post-secondary education or pre-tertiary education is for students who have completed 11 years of education and need to obtain pre-university qualification in order to pursue education at higher educational institutions. Post-secondary education is provided by higher educational institutions under MOHE. However the main providers of post-secondary education are the post- secondary schools and matriculation colleges under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education.

Higher Education covers certificate, diploma, undergraduate as well as postgraduate levels. The providers of higher education are colleges, polytechnics and universities. Undergraduate studies consist of Bachelor’s Degree levels and professional studies while postgraduate studies consist of Master’s Degree and PhD levels.
Higher education at certificate and diploma levels are for students from the age of 17 with SPM qualifications (which is equivalent to GCE ‘O’ levels) while the Bachelor’s degree level is usually for students from the age of 19 or 20 onwards with post-secondary qualifications such as the STPM (which is equivalent to GCE ‘A’ levels) or Pre-University / University Foundation qualifications. These degree programmes normally take between 3 to 5 years. After obtaining their Bachelor’s degree, students can proceed to postgraduate studies.

Higher education in the academic and professional fields is provided by:
• Public-funded higher educational institutions which include public universities, polytechnics, community colleges and public colleges; and
• Private-funded higher educational institutions which include private universities, private colleges and foreign university branch campuses.
MOHE is directly responsible for the operations and performance of public HEIs, whereas the private HEIs are guided by MOHE’s policy guidelines and objectives.cc
The general entry requirements and duration of study at certificate, diploma, undergraduate and post-graduate levels for higher education (academic) can be grouped as below:
Table 3.1: Higher Education Qualification Levels, Its Entry Requirements & Duration of Study
Higher Education Levels For Whom Age Group Duration of Study
Certificate Level For those with secondary education qualifications such as SPM 17 and above 1 to 1.5 years
Diploma Level For those with secondary education qualifications such as SPM 17 and above 2 to 3 years
Bachelor’s Degree Level For those with post-secondary or pre-university qualifications such as STPM, GCE A-levels, etc. 19 and above 3 to 5 years
Master’s Degree For those with a Bachelor’s degree Any adult 1 to 3 years
PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) For those with a Master’s degree Any adult 3 to 5 years
Note: The SPM (which is equivalent to GCSE ‘O’ levels) and STPM (which is equivalent to GCE ‘A’ levels) are the two recognised secondary and post-secondary qualifications awarded by the Malaysian government examination syndicate / board for further study in government-funded tertiary institutions.


Skill Training
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Besides pursuing an academic pathway to higher education qualification from certificate to PhD levels, SPM qualification holders or youths aged 16 and above can study other forms of tertiary education which include skill training. The skill training programmes which lead to skill qualifications is outside the domain of MOHE. The award of skill qualifications is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Skills Development, the Ministry ofHuman Resources. The providers of skill training are from various ministries, government agencies and private sectors.

Table 3.2: The Qualification Framework for National Skills Certification and Skills Qualification Levels (from SKM Level 1 to SKM Level 3, DKM Level 4 and DLKM Level 5) in Malaysia



Governing Authority for Higher Education
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The higher education sector is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE). The establishment of this Ministry on 27 March 2004 marked an important part of history in Malaysia, particularly in the development of higher education. The establishment of MOHE is in line with the vision of the government in making Malaysia a centre of educational excellence and internationalizing Malaysian education.

MOHE is the governing authority for the Malaysian higher education sector, overseeing higher educational institutions (both public and private), community colleges, polytechnics and other government agencies involved in higher education activities such as the soon-to-be established Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) (which is the merger of the National Accreditation Board and the Quality Assurance Divisions of MOHE), the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional – PTPTN) and Tunku Abdul Rahman Foundation (Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman).

Vision of MOHE
To make Malaysia a centre of higher education excellence by the year 2020.

Mission of MOHE
To build and create a higher education environment that is conducive for the development of academic and institutional excellence and to generate individuals who are competent, innovative and of noble character to serve the needs of the nation and the world.

Functions of MOHE
Some of MOHE’s key functions include:
• Determining policies and the direction of the higher education sector in order to build an excellent and outstanding nation that is rich in knowledge, culture and civilisation
• Acting as a catalyst to develop the sector that enables the nation to compete in the era of globalisation
• Dealing with the challenges of the present global economic scene, in line with the government’s aspiration to produce adequate human resource with knowledge and high moral values (Outline Perspective Plan 3, 2001-2010, National Higher Education Strategic Plan and Vision 2020).
Five Core Thrusts
MOHE has its focus on five core thrusts:
• To create a strategic and systematic plan for higher education
• To reinforce the management system of higher education
• To increase the level of capacity, accessibility and participation in higher education
• To enhance the quality of higher education at par with international standards
• To internationalise Malaysian higher education Structure / Organisation of MOHE
MOHE comprises four departments / sectors:
• The Department of Higher Education
• The Department of Polytechnics and Community College Education (DPCCE)
• The Management Sector
• The Development Sector
The Department of Higher Education
The Department of Higher Education or popularly known as Jabatan Pengajian Tinggi was restructured and established on 27 March 2004 in line with the creation of the Ministry of Higher Education. The first restructuring exercise of this department was under the Ministry of Education on 1 October 1995.

The Department of Higher Education is supported by several sectors, divisions and an administrative unit that is responsible for the development of both public and private higher education in Malaysia. It also ensures that the universities and colleges are of international standing. This Department is also involved in the marketing of Malaysian higher education to international markets as well as in-charge of international students’ welfare.

The sector designated with the jurisdiction over public higher education is known as the ‘Sector of Public Higher Education Management’ while the sector designated with the jurisdiction over private higher education is known as the ‘Sector of Private Higher Education Management’.
The Department of Polytechnic and Community College Education (DPCCE)
DPCCE is committed to providing education and training at Polytechnics and Community Colleges to fulfill the human capital needs of the nation through strategic management, relevant and dynamic curricula, effective training and career development programmes, continuous quality assurance and strong support services based on the National Education Philosophy.

Apart from public universities, Community Colleges and Polytechnics serve as alternative paths for SPM school leavers to further their education.

Community Colleges aim to provide life-long learning opportunities to members of local communities particularly SPM or SPM (V) school leavers. They will be trained, ‘re-skilled’ or ‘up-skilled’, leading to the award of a certificate qualification.

Polytechnic Education offers an alternative route for upper secondary school (SPM) school leavers to further their education at certificate and diploma levels and also provides relevant technological or entrepreneurial education and training to upgrade a student’s basic skills as well as to promote research and development projects in collaboration with businesses and industries.
The Management Sector
This is the corporate and management services sector. It consists of the Information Technology Division, Human Resource Management Division, Human Development and Training Division as well as the Finance Division. Overall, this sector handles the administration, corporate image and other management functions of the Ministry.

The Development Sector
The Development Sector consists of the International Division, Planning and Research Division and Scholarship Division. Its many functions include preparing physical development plans that cover the fiveyear Malaysia Plan, facilities of public higher educational institutions as well as the Polytechnics and Community Colleges. It also handles the finances for managing and developing public higher educational institutions besides making monthly or quarterly and half-yearly reports.


Higher Education Legislations
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The legal regulatory frameworks that support the provision of higher education in Malaysia are:
• The Education Act 1996
• The Private Higher Educational Institutions Act 1996
• The National Council of Higher Education Act 1996
• The National Accreditation Board Act 1996 (replaced by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency Act, 2007 w.e.f. 1-11-2007)
• The Universities and University Colleges (Amendment) Act 1996
• The National Higher Education Fund Corporation Act 1997
The Education Act 1996 (Act 550)
This Act contains some provisions that apply to the Ministry of Higher Education in the establishment of polytechnics and community colleges.
The Private Higher Educational Institutions Act 1996
This Act governs the establishment and operations of private higher educational institutions. It also makes provision for the establishment of private universities, university colleges, branch campuses of foreign universities as well as the upgrading of existing private colleges to universities.

In addition, the Act enables the liberalisation of higher education in the country to meet the increasing demand for tertiary education and a highly-educated and skilled workforce.

The National Council on Higher Education Act 1996
Under this Act, a national body was set up to determine policies and co-ordinate the development and rapid expansion of tertiary education in the country.

The National Accreditation Board Act, 1996 (replaced by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency Act, 2007)
The National Accreditation Board set up under this Act ensures that high academic standards, quality and control are maintained in private higher educational institutions.

[The Malaysian Qualifications Agency Act, 2007 charts the way for the establishment of the Malaysian Qualifications Agency as a national quality assurance agency to implement the Malaysian Qualification Framework (MQF). MQF will serve as a platform for Quality Assurance in public and private higher educational institutions as well as training / skill-based providers in the country.]

The Universities and University Colleges (Amendment) Act 1996
This Act seeks to corporatise the management and administration of public universities. With corporatisation, these universities are given more administrative and financial autonomy to chart programmes necessary for academic excellence.
The National Higher Education Fund Corporation Act 1997
The purpose of this Act is to establish a fund that provides financial assistance through study loans to students at higher educational institutions in Malaysia. It also provides for the establishment of a savings scheme with the objective of instilling saving habits in children, from as early as Year 1 in primary school, with the intention of enabling them to finance their own higher education in future.

All higher educational institutions operating in Malaysia are subjected to one or more of the above legislations, depending on whether the education provider is publicly or privately-owned.

The legislations have made possible the following major enhancements in the Malaysian higher education system:
• The provision for the establishment of privately-run universities and systematic expansion of private education at tertiary level
• The provision for fines and jail term on operators who have flouted the provisions of the laws
• The setting up of a quality assurance agency by the government to ensure high academic standards, quality and control in private higher education
• The allowance for greater administrative and financial autonomy of public universities
• The establishment of student loans for greater access to higher education
• The legislations will be reviewed and the amendments will include legislations for the new quality assurance agency, the Malaysian Qualifications Agency which will implement the Malaysian Qualification Framework (MQF) as a basis for quality assurance in higher education and also as a reference standard for national qualifications.
The above Acts are reviewed from time to time with the aim to make Malaysia a centre of educational excellence.
Medium of Instruction
English is used as the primary medium of instruction at all private higher educational institutions in the country. It is however, only used for postgraduate studies at public universities as all Bachelor’s Degree courses conducted at these universities are taught primarily in the National language, or Bahasa Malaysia (except for subjects like Maths and Science which are conducted in English).

Higher Education Funding
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There are many types of financial aid available for students in Malaysia which include scholarships, study loans, commercial bank study loans and other financial assistance, from both the public and private sectors. Below are three popular public financial aids.

The Ministry of Higher Education – Scholarship Division
The Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia, has a Scholarship Division which provides opportunities for higher education for all levels of society. It is committed in ensuring that all students and officers have access to financial aid, in the form of study loans and scholarships for the various stages of higher education.

There are some scholarships under this Ministry. They are:
a. Matriculation Studies Scholarship
o This scholarship is awarded to students enrolled in IPTA like KUIM, UiTM, UIAM, UM (Islamic studies) and UPM
o Award amount includes tuition fees, accommodation allowances, pocket money and airfare (for students living in Sabah / Sarawak)

b. Student Loan Fund
o This loan is offered to students taking certificate courses at Polytechnics and Community Colleges

c. Federal Training Award Scheme
This scheme is offered:
o To Academicians of Polytechnics and Community Colleges
o For long term programmes at the Master’s and PhD levels
o For the field of studies based on the requirements of the Division of Training and Careers of the Department of Polytechnics and Community College Education
National Higher Education Fund (Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional (PTPTN), Ministry of Higher Education)
The National Higher Education Fund (Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional, PTPTN) was established under the National Higher Education Act 1997 (Act 566) and started its full operations on 1 November 1999. Its prime objectives are:
• to provide loans to eligible students at higher educational institutions (both public and private) who are pursuing courses at Diploma and Bachelor’s degree levels as well as Master’s degree levels;
• to provide saving schemes; as well as
• to manage funds for higher education.
The Public Services Department (JPA) Sponsorship Programme
The Public Services Department, PSD (JPA) offers scholarships to excellent students to pursue their studies in either local or overseas higher institutions at Diploma and Bachelor’s degree levels. JPA’s Local Programme for Bachelor’s Degree Qualifications Under this local programme, JPA offers scholarships to excellent achievers to study in local institutions of higher learning. The scholarship is usually offered to students who are interested in pursuing courses which are classified as ‘critical’ such as Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Engineering as well as Science & Technology courses. In 2007, there were 8000 scholarships offered to excellent students studying at public and selected private universities.
JPA’s Local Programme for Bachelor’s Degree Qualifications
Under this local programme, JPA offers scholarships to excellent achievers to study in local institutions of higher learning. The scholarship is usually offered to students who are interested in pursuing courses which are classified as ‘critical’ such as Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Engineering as well as Science & Technology courses. In 2007, there were 8000 scholarships offered to excellent students studying at public and selected private universities.
JPA’s Overseas Programme for Bachelor’s Degree Qualifications
JPA also offers overseas Bachelor’s degree sponsorship programmes for students with outstanding SPM results. The selected recipients who are not more than 18 years old will undergo locally-conducted preparatory courses for about one to two years. JPA-sponsored students who pass with distinction in the preparatory course will be offered places in any of the top universities in US, Britain or Australia listed by JPA and given full scholarships.
The Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA)
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The following three quality assurance agencies were replaced by a new agency, namely the Malaysian Qualifications Agency w.e.f. 1-11-2007:
• Lembaga Akreditasi Negara (established under Act 556), for private higher educational institutions
• The Quality Assurance Division of MOHE, for public universities
• The Quality Assurance Division of MOHE, for polytechnics & community colleges
The National Accreditation Board or Lembaga Akreditasi Negara (LAN) was established in 1996 under the Parliament Act and was the national quality assurance agency for private higher educational institutions. Meanwhile, the quality assurance divisions under the Ministry of Higher Education supervised the quality of public universities, polytechnics and public community colleges. On 1-11-2007, a new agency known as the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) has been established under a new education legislation, namely the Malaysian Qualifications Act 2007. MQA comes under the responsibility of the Ministry of Higher Education.

This Act allows for the establishment of MQA as a national body to implement the national framework known as the Malaysian Qualifications Framework (MQF), to accredit higher educational programmes and qualifications, to supervise and regulate the quality and standard of higher education providers, to establish and maintain the Malaysian Qualifications Register and to provide for related matters.
The Malaysian Qualification Framework (MQF)
The implementation of MQF means that there will be a unified system to bind and interlink all the qualifications awarded in Malaysia (which include higher education qualifications and Malaysian Skills Certificates – SKM Level 1 to 5) and serve as a reference point for all Malaysian national qualifications.

MQF is an instrument that develops and classifies qualifications based on a set of criteria that are approved nationally and is at par with international good practices at the level of learning attained by the learners. This includes learning outcomes achieved and a credit system which is based on the learner’s academic load. All the qualifications in the framework are based upon four classifications, which are: (1) learning outcomes (2) credit (3) objectives and (4) field of study.

MQF will create eight levels of qualifications in four sectors of education. The four sectors of education are the:
• skills sector
• vocational and technical sector
• life-long learning sector and
• higher education (university) sector
The eight levels of higher education qualifications are as follows:
Levels 1 to 3 – These are the levels for Skills Certificates awarded by the skills sector, Vocational and Technical Certificates awarded by Vocatinal & Technical Sector and Certificate (Level 3) awarded by the Higher Education Sector.
Levels 4 and 5 – These levels are for Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas (General Degree) respectively awarded by the Technical and Vocational Sector, Skills Sector and Higher Education Sector.

Level 6 to 8 – Level 6 is for the first tertiary qualification, i.e. the bachelor’s degree with honours while Level 7 is for master’s degrees and Level 8 for PhD / doctoral degrees. Under the lifelong learning category, there are graduate certificates & diplomas and postgraduate certificates & diplomas.
Table 3.3: MQF – Four (4) Higher Education Sectors & Eight (8) Qualifications Levels


Note : Under this MQF, the qualifi cation for MSC Level 1 to 3 is known as Malaysian Skills Certifi cate; MSC Level 4 as Malaysian Skills Diploma and MSC Level 5 as Malaysian Skills Advanced Diploma















Providers of Higher Education
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Introduction
Both public and private education providers play equally important roles in the provision of higher education. Together, the public and private sectors provide abundant study options. Higher educational institutions offer programmes leading to the award of certificates, diplomas as well as postgraduate qualifications.

Higher education providers in Malaysia can be grouped into two major categories:
• Public Higher Educational Institutions, which consist of:
o Public universities
o Polytechnics
o Community colleges
• Private Higher Educational Institutions, which consist of:
o Private universities and universities colleges
o Foreign branch campus universities
o Private colleges
(A) Public Higher Educational Institutions
The government-funded (public) higher educational institutions consist of:
• public universities which offer bachelor’s degree and postgraduate programmes, with some offering programmes at diploma level
• polytechnics and community colleges which offer certificate and diploma level programmes
Table 3.4: List of Public Higher Educational Institutions in Malaysia
Existing 20 Public Universities
• Universiti Malaya (UM), established on 1-1-1962
• Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), established in 1969
• Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), established on 18-5-1970
• Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), established on 4-10-1971
• Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), established on 1-4-1975
• Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), established on 26-8-1999
• Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIAM), established on 10-5-1983
• Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), established on 16-2-1984
• Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), established on 24-12-1992
• Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), established on 24-11-1994
• Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), established on 24-2-1997
• Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), established on 13-3-1998 (formerly known as Kolej Universiti Islam Malaysia - KUIM)
• Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), established on 15-7-1999 (formerly known as Kolej Universiti Sains & Teknologi Malaysia - KUSTEM)
• Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), established on 30-9-2000 (formerly known as Kolej Universiti Teknologi Tun Hussein Onn - KUiTHO)
• Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), established on 1-12-2000 (formerly known as Kolej Universiti Teknikal Kebangsaan Malaysia - KUTKM)
• Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP), established on 16-2-2002 (fomerly known as Kolej Universiti Kejuruteraan & Teknologi Malaysia - KUKTEM)
• Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), established on 2-5-2002 (formerly known as Kolej Universiti Kejuruteraan Utara Malaysia - KUKUM)
• Universiti Darul Iman Malaysia (UDM), established on 1-1-2006
• Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), established on 14-6-2006
• Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM), established on 10-11-2006 (upgraded from Malaysian Armed Forces Academy)
Note: The public universities can be divided into four research, four broadbased and 12 specialised universities. The four public universities that have been designated as research universities are Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
Existing Polytechnics and Community Colleges
22 Polytechnics and 37 Community Colleges in the country
Existing Public College
Tunku Abdul Rahman College
Existing Teacher Education Institutes
27 Teacher Education Institutes
Education Statistics
Below are tables showing the number of students enroled in public colleges and public universities.

(B) Private Higher Educational Institutions
The private higher educational institutions that offer certificate, diploma and undergraduate degree programmes are private colleges, private universities and branch campuses of foreign universities. Some of these institutions also offer postgraduate degree courses.
The general requirements to enter PHEIs for Pre-university study / Certificate / Diploma / Bachelor’s degree are as follows:
Table 3.10: General Entry Requirements for Pre-University / Diploma/Degree Programmes
Education Levels General Entry Requirements
University Foundation Programme SPM / GCE ‘O’ Level with 5 credits, or its equivalent
Certificate Level SPM / GCE ‘O’ Level with 1 credit, or its equivalent
Diploma Level SPM / GCE ‘O’ Level with 3 credits, or its equivalent
Year 1 Bachelor’s Degree STPM / GCE A-levels + English Proficiency or its equivalent

Table 3.11: List of Private Universities in Malaysia (Oct. 2007)
18 Private Universities in Malaysia
• Multimedia University (MMU), Cyberjaya / Melaka, established in 1999 (2 campuses: Cyberjaya campus and Melaka branch campus)
• Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN), Putrajaya / Pahang,established in 1999 (2 campuses: Kajang campus and Bandar Muadzam Shah branch campus)
• Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (UNITAR), Selangor, established in 1999
• Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP), Selangor, established in 1999
• International Medical University (IMU), Kuala Lumpur, established in 1999
• Universiti Industri Selangor (UNISEL), Selangor, established in 2000 (2 campuses in Selangor)
• Open University Malaysia (OUM), Kuala Lumpur, established in 2000
• Malaysia University of Science & Technology (MUST), Selangor, established in 2000
• AIMST University, Kedah, established in 2001 (formerly known as Asian Institute of Medicine, Science & Technology)
• Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Kuala Lumpur / Selangor / Perak, established in 2001 (4 campuses: Kuala Lumpur campus, Petaling Jaya campus, Bandar Sungai Long campus in Cheras and Perak campus)
• Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), Kuala Lumpur (3 faculties in Kuala Lumpur campus and 7 other campuses located around the country), established in 2001
• Wawasan Open University, Penang, established in 2006
• Albukhary International University, Kedah, established in 2006
• Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT), Putrajaya, upgraded to university college in 2003 (further upgraded to full university status in 2007)
• Asia e University (AeU), Kuala Lumpur, established in 2007
• Al-Madinah International University (MEDIU), Selangor, established in 2007
• International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF), Kuala Lumpur, established in 2007
• Malaysia Science and Management University, Selangor, established in 2001 (formerly was KUTPM and was upgraded to full university in 2007)
15 University-Colleges in Malaysia
• International University College of Technology Twintech (IUCTT), Kuala Lumpur / Kelanatan, upgraded in 2003 (3 campuses: Kuala Lumpur campus, Sabah and Kota Bharu branch campuses)
• Kuala Lumpur Infrastructure University College (KLIUC), Selangor, upgraded in 2003
• University College Sedaya International (UCSI), Kuala Lumpur, upgraded in 2003
• HELP University College, Kuala Lumpur, upgraded in 2004
• Sunway University College, Selangor, upgraded in 2004
• Binary University College of Management and Entrepreneurship, Selangor, upgraded in 2004
• Asia Pacific University College of Technology and Innovation (UCTI), Kuala Lumpur, upgraded in 2004
• Selangor International Islamic University College (SIUC), Selangor, upgraded in 2004
• Cyberjaya University College of Medical Sciences (CUCMS), Selangor, established in 2005
• INTI International University College (INTI-UC), Negeri Sembilan, upgraded in 2006
• Cosmopoint International University College, Kuala Lumpur, upgraded in 2006
• INSANNIAH University College, Kedah, upgraded in 2006
• Taylor’s University College, Selangor, upgraded in 2006
• Nilai International University College, Negeri Sembilan, upgraded in 2007
• Kolej University TATI, Terenggannu, upgraded in 2007
Students who wish to pursue a foreign university degree qualification entirely in Malaysia can opt to study “3+0” degree programmes. The table below provides a list of some private colleges & private universities in Malaysia that conduct “3+0” degree programmes in collaboration with foreign universities.
Table 3.13: Foreign Branch Campus Universities in Malaysia
Name of Branch Campus and Year Established Location in Malaysia Country of Origin
Monash University, Malaysia, 1998 Selangor Australia
Curtin University of Technology, Sarawak Campus, Malaysia, 1999 Sarawak Australia
University of Nottingham, Campus Malaysia, 2000 Kuala Lumpur United Kingdom
Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak Campus, 2004 Sarawak Australia


Conclusion
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the international recognition of Malaysia’s higher education sector has come a long way. This is due to the effort of the government and the education entrepreneurs for the past couple of decades to constantly enhance and improve the infrastructure of education, human resource development, the curricula, etc, in order to provide better quality education for students, both local as well as international.

Malaysia has also been recognised for its success in democratisation of higher education.

Changes are being made constantly and efforts to benchmark against the best in the world are also taking place. The soon-to-be-established Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) plus many other collaborative activities are an assurance that the public and private education sectors are working hand-in-hand to make Malaysia a centre of educational excellence in the region, providing quality education for all.

Nowadays, students can choose to study either locally-run programmes, twinning academic programmes, vocational, technical or skills training. The method of delivery is also not confined to traditional classroom teaching, but includes e-learning, long distance learning, flexible learning, open learning, cross border learning and mixed learning. Such diversification means a variety of study methods is available to satisfy students’ needs and interest.

The government is initiating many approaches in order to keep up with the changing world and current needs which will generate a well-structured development of higher education. The government has also clearly outlined the strategic thrusts in the National Higher Education Strategic Plan to make Malaysia an international centre of educational excellence by 2020.

Useful Charts
• Appendix 3 provides the Organisation Structure of the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia
References
• Education Guide Malaysia 10th Edition
• 9MP (2006-2010)
• “Strategic Plan For Higher Education: Laying The Foundation Beyond 2020”, by MOHE
• www.mohe.gov.my
• www.phed.gov.my
• www.lan.gov.my
• Education Planning & Research Department, MOE