In accordance with Novie Tajuddin, chief govt officer, Schooling Malaysia World Providers, an entity beneath the Ministry of Larger Schooling managing worldwide pupil companies and visa facilitation, the Southeast Asian nation has seen a 26% rise in worldwide pupil functions over the previous two years.
“There was a time that in a month (when) our staff processed about 14,000 to fifteen,000 functions, particularly in July, August, and September, for the September consumption,” acknowledged Tajuddin, whereas talking at The PIE Dwell Asia Pacific 2025’s How Malaysia is quietly changing into a significant training vacation spot panel.
“Upon receiving full paperwork from universities, we are able to course of functions inside 14 working days, that’s our constitution, however we have now even achieved it in eight to 10 days,” added Tajuddin. He mentioned that round 40 immigration officers are taking good care of the processing of visas for worldwide college students coming to Malaysia, and streamlining the process for universities, the immigration division, and brokers.
As per a 2024 Acumen report, over 50,000 Malaysian college students studied overseas in locations like Australia, Japan, and China, the identical Asia-Pacific nations Malaysia now sees as key in its bid to draw 250,000 worldwide college students.
However the site visitors of scholars goes each methods. As per information from EMGS’s official web site, in Q2 2025 (April-June), Malaysia obtained 12,469 pupil functions from East Asia, adopted by South Asia (8,046), the Center East and North Africa (4,990), Southeast Asia (4,682), Africa (2,560), Central Asia (1,013), and different areas (1,534).
Whereas 10,947 of those functions got here from China, the remainder of the highest 5 have been Bangladesh (4,159), Indonesia (2,194), Pakistan (1,412), and India (1,388).
If I’m not mistaken, final yr Malaysia authorised about 20,000 college students from China, and we anticipate related numbers this yr and subsequent
Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani, Universiti Utara Malaysia
Although Chinese language pupil numbers are dipping in nations just like the US and UK because of issues over price, and rising regional choices, Malaysia has emerged as a lovely choice.
“We’ve got the Malaysia {Qualifications} Framework to make sure world requirements, and the Malaysian {Qualifications} Company empowers and enforces this high quality – a really tedious however obligatory course of,” acknowledged Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani, deputy vice-chancellor, Universiti Utara Malaysia, who was additionally a part of the panel.
“Due to this, you may see Malaysia rising in rankings like THE and QS. This traction is attracting college students from in every single place, particularly China. If I’m not mistaken, final yr Malaysia authorised about 20,000 college students from China, and we anticipate related numbers this yr and subsequent. We’re additionally seeing extra college students from Bangladesh and the Center East,” added Azizuddin, noting that Japan’s weakening yen has additionally pushed many college students to review within the Southeast Asian nation.
Earlier this yr, on the tenth annual EURIE convention, Tajuddin acknowledged that Central Asia and Africa maintain the largest potential for progress in worldwide pupil functions to Malaysia, some extent he reiterated at The PIE Dwell Asia Pacific 2025. Nonetheless, one other South Asian large can also be on Malaysia’s radar.
“The largest potential is India as a result of the market is big. The overall variety of increased training college students in India is about 45 million. You simply want 1%, perhaps 1.5% or 2%, to deliver to your nation, relying in your technique,” acknowledged Tajuddin.
Nonetheless such a technique additionally means utilizing transnational training as a way to realize its worldwide pupil goal of 250,000 as early as 2030, in response to Tajuddin.
“We’d like completely different methods for various individuals. If we make Malaysia an training hub, mother and father can ship college students to review in India, Indonesia, or elsewhere by going by Malaysia. That’s vital,” he mentioned.
“Department campuses are a part of the federal government’s technique, built-in into the 10-year plan from 2025 to 2035, working carefully with each non-public and public universities.”
Whereas Asian nations resembling India and Kazakhstan have lately made headlines as enticing locations for IBCs, Malaysia has been a hotspot for the reason that mid-Nineteen Nineties after opening its market to higher international direct funding and globalisation.
Establishments resembling Monash College, College of Nottingham, College of Studying, Xiamen College, and Tsukuba College are just a few which have opened previously two to a few many years, main Malaysia to typically being seen as a profitable TNE mannequin, particularly for the UK.
Malaysia can also be more and more courting Australia to hitch its broader technique, as public universities there stay desperate to develop levels, pupil exchanges, and extra.
“By having joint levels, joint programmes, and such collaborations, we are able to enhance the variety of Malaysian college students going to Australian universities, and on the identical time, the variety of Australian college students coming to ours,” mentioned Md Amin Md Taff, vice-chancellor, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, who added that his college is at present working with establishments resembling Sydney College, College of Western Australia, and Edith Cowan, which incorporates joint tasks and school exchanges.
Equally whereas Universiti Utara Malaysia anticipates elevated collaboration with Australian universities, Europe stays an equally vital marketplace for the establishment.
“We’ve got numerous college students from Europe coming to Malaysia, notably to my college. In Europe, there’s a coverage requiring college students to attend internships and mobility overseas, so many select us,” acknowledged Azizuddin.
“One other vital facet is worldwide workers. About 10% of our workers are international, from locations like Singapore, Indonesia, and Europe. It is a authorities coverage to draw worldwide students to Malaysia as a result of to grow to be a hub of upper training, we have to make use of worldwide students.”
Furthermore, Malaysia’s Graduate Move, a post-study work visa choice efficient from December 2023, together with a fast-track Worldwide Scholar Arrival Centre (ISAC) and a centralised admissions system, are gaining robust consideration from stakeholders.
“Malaysia has opened its post-graduate visa to 32 nations, together with Australia, permitting graduates to work in Malaysia for one yr after finishing their diploma, grasp’s, or PhD, a provision that wasn’t accessible earlier than,” acknowledged Tajuddin.
“Each Malaysian college has an trade relations officer engaged on placements, and internships have been shifted to the top of the semester. This enables, for instance, Australian college students of their last yr to intern for six months, then work for an additional yr, gaining 1.5 years of expertise earlier than returning dwelling.”
Amin famous that though universities like his assist worldwide college students with job alternatives, it’s equally vital to leverage the presence of multinational firms establishing operations in Malaysia.
“Only recently, Infineon introduced it’s coming to Kedah, establishing considered one of their industrial hubs with an funding of about AUD$10 billion. So it’s an enormous funding,” acknowledged Amin.
“I’m certain there’s a want for professionals, and that is an space the place we are able to work with the federal government to assist our college students and graduates.”
Whereas Malaysia’s path to probably changing into Asia’s topmost research vacation spot seems promising, the nation, like different rising or superior economies, is in search of methods to spice up income with out burdening its residents.
Simply in June 2025, Malaysia carried out a brand new expanded gross sales and repair tax for personal training companies for worldwide college students, set at 6% if tuition charges exceed RM60,000 (£10,500) per pupil per yr.
Although the British Council issued a press release on how the SST may have an effect on UK TNE applications, particularly these run with non-public native associate, Amin famous that there could possibly be discussions on methods establishments would possibly take up the tax so it doesn’t affect college students.
“I noticed that there’s a whole lot of dialogue in regards to the enhance within the SST, and it may be mentioned with many of the universities,” acknowledged Amin.
“If we deliver extra college students, perhaps the college can take up the SST, so that is the place we’re wanting in the direction of having an in depth dialogue with our companions.”
