EMGS gets back on track with new CEO
THE new chief executive officer (CEO) of Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) is not one to shy away from a challenge.
Appointed in January 2020, Mohd Radzlan Jalaludin (pic) who turned 40 this month, is facing the challenge of attracting foreign students to the country amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Earlier in February, higher education sector veterans told StarEdu that they have been left in the dark about the status of the EMGS leadership after board chairman Datuk Abdul Rahman Mohamed Shariff was charged by the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) for criminal breach of trust and money laundering. And the company’s former CEO Shahinuddin Shariff, who was appointed in January last year, was unreachable.
Meeting the media for the first time since his appointment, Mohd Radzlan admitted that the sector was facing tough times but he is confident that the storm will pass.
Passionate about initiating and leading change, strengthening operation, driving results and innovation, the lawyer by profession has pledged to grow EMGS and add value to international students and relevant stakeholders.
While the number of applicants has started to pick up again, the initial target of getting 200,000 international students here by the end of the year, has been moved to 2025, he said.
“International student applications in January and February this year were actually higher compared to the same period last year.
“The number dropped from March till May, but it was due to the movement control order. Now, we’re seeing applications come in again.”
It was reported that there were only some 170,000 foreign students in the country as of October last year.
“We can achieve the 200,000 target ahead of the new 2025 deadline if the right approach is used.
“Malaysia is on the top 10 list as far as international students are concerned.
“Chinese students, in particular, are looking to countries where English is widely spoken and they don’t have to worry about diplomatic and political tensions or racism. So they’re turning to Malaysia and Australia,” he said on Thursday.
EMGS, he said, is currently targeting postgraduate Chinese students and high ranking officers.
China, he said, sends about 900,000 students to foreign countries each year. About 600,000 of the 900,000 head to the US and UK.
Mohd Radzlan said he will be leading EMGS through the next phase of growth, strategy and consistent branding as well as introduction of new services to cater to international students’ needs before they reach Malaysian soil. This is to enhance their experience and welfare.
“The education industry in Malaysia contributes significantly to the economy and the importance of international students’ enrolment cannot be overstated. EMGS will focus its efforts in promoting Malaysia’s branding in a more systematic and targeted approach.”
Noting that EMGS has developed eight key Unique Selling Propositions (USPs) that will be consistently broadcasted throughout its promotion and awareness creation campaigns, he said the EMGS marketing teams will be deployed to its prioritised countries based on their outbound student growth and these countries’ abilities to fulfil students’ needs and demand.
Mohd Radzlan, who believes that EMGS would be able to attract more quality international students to Malaysia with the initiatives in place, added that it would play a pivotal role as a bridge between the government and industry.
According to
EMGS, its board of directors saw
Mohd Radzlan’s ‘outstanding entrepreneurial leadership’ as a key factor to his nomination and appointment.
“Mohd Radzlan brings on board a provrecord en track of building business and engagements,” it said in a statement issued Wednesday.
Mohd Radzlan, who is active in organising social welfare activities to give back to the community, practised law for over 13 years, focusing on litigation. He was a Bachelor of Law graduate and pursued a Diploma in Shariah Legal Practice at the International Islamic University Malaysia. He was called to the Bar on May 11, 2007.