Only genuine students to get visas

Ministry: Process tightened to check abuse

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has tightened the visa application process from foreigners wanting to study here to curb rising cases of permit abuse.

The applications would be screened by the police first, Home Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Mahmood Adam said in a press statement yesterday.

This was among the new measures to ensure only genuine students would be given approval, he added.

Mahmood said his ministry and other regulatory authorities had worked to streamline procedures involving foreign students.

Also set up is a special students’ sub-unit and a team to monitor international students.

Onsunday, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Khaled Nordin announced that his ministry would stop issuing visas on arrival and social visit passes to foreign students to check the abuse of the permits.

He said visas would only be issued after students receive offers from the institutions of higher learning under the ministry’s supervision.

Any move implemented must not result in increased bureaucracy. — DATUK DR PARMJIT SINGH

Taylor’s University vice-chancellor and president Prof Datuk Dr Hassan Said said higher education institutions must play a critical role in monitoring the problem at the university level.

Malaysian Association of Private Colleges and Universities president Datuk Dr Parmjit Singh said any move implemented must not result in increased bureaucracy.

“Any regulation which reduces our competitiveness by making it more difficult for bona fide students to enter the country would have serious implications,” he said.

Dr Parmjit said the authorities should provide further clarification to enable higher education institutions to communicate any changes to incoming students.