Based on Novie Tajuddin, chief govt officer, Schooling Malaysia World Companies, an entity below the Ministry of Larger Schooling managing worldwide pupil providers 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,” said Tajuddin, whereas talking at The PIE Dwell Asia Pacific 2025’s How Malaysia is quietly turning into a serious training vacation spot panel.
“Upon receiving full paperwork from universities, we will course of functions inside 14 working days, that’s our constitution, however we’ve got even achieved it in eight to 10 days,” added Tajuddin. He stated that round 40 immigration officers are caring for 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 visitors of scholars goes each methods. As per knowledge 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 had been Bangladesh (4,159), Indonesia (2,194), Pakistan (1,412), and India (1,388).
If I’m not mistaken, final 12 months Malaysia permitted about 20,000 college students from China, and we count on comparable numbers this 12 months and subsequent
Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani, Universiti Utara Malaysia
Although Chinese language pupil numbers are dipping in nations just like the US and UK as a result of considerations over price, and rising regional choices, Malaysia has emerged as a gorgeous possibility.
“We’ve the Malaysia {Qualifications} Framework to make sure international requirements, and the Malaysian {Qualifications} Company empowers and enforces this high quality – a really tedious however vital course of,” said Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani, deputy vice-chancellor, Universiti Utara Malaysia, who was additionally a part of the panel.
“Due to this, you possibly can see Malaysia rising in rankings like THE and QS. This traction is attracting college students from all over the place, particularly China. If I’m not mistaken, final 12 months Malaysia permitted about 20,000 college students from China, and we count on comparable numbers this 12 months 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 check within the Southeast Asian nation.
Earlier this 12 months, on the tenth annual EURIE convention, Tajuddin acknowledged that Central Asia and Africa maintain the largest potential for development in worldwide pupil functions to Malaysia, some extent he reiterated at The PIE Dwell Asia Pacific 2025. Nevertheless, 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 entire variety of larger training college students in India is about 45 million. You simply want 1%, perhaps 1.5% or 2%, to carry to your nation, relying in your technique,” said Tajuddin.
Nevertheless such a method additionally means utilizing transnational training as a way to attain its worldwide pupil goal of 250,000 as early as 2030, in response to Tajuddin.
“We want completely different methods for various folks. If we make Malaysia an training hub, dad and mom can ship college students to check in India, Indonesia, or elsewhere by going by way of Malaysia. That’s essential,” he stated.
“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 personal and public universities.”
Whereas Asian nations equivalent to India and Kazakhstan have lately made headlines as engaging locations for IBCs, Malaysia has been a hotspot because the mid-Nineties after opening its market to larger overseas direct funding and globalisation.
Establishments equivalent to Monash College, College of Nottingham, College of Studying, Xiamen College, and Tsukuba College are just a few which have opened prior to now two to 3 a long time, 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 will enhance the variety of Malaysian college students going to Australian universities, and on the similar time, the variety of Australian college students coming to ours,” stated Md Amin Md Taff, vice-chancellor, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, who added that his college is at the moment working with establishments equivalent to Sydney College, College of Western Australia, and Edith Cowan, which incorporates joint initiatives and college exchanges.
Equally whereas Universiti Utara Malaysia anticipates elevated collaboration with Australian universities, Europe stays an equally essential marketplace for the establishment.
“We’ve various 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,” said Azizuddin.
“One other essential side is worldwide employees. About 10% of our employees are overseas, from locations like Singapore, Indonesia, and Europe. This can be 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 possibility efficient from December 2023, together with a fast-track Worldwide Pupil Arrival Centre (ISAC) and a centralised admissions system, are gaining sturdy consideration from stakeholders.
“Malaysia has opened its post-graduate visa to 32 nations, together with Australia, permitting graduates to work in Malaysia for one 12 months after finishing their diploma, grasp’s, or PhD, a provision that wasn’t accessible earlier than,” said Tajuddin.
“Each Malaysian college has an trade relations officer engaged on placements, and internships have been shifted to the tip of the semester. This enables, for instance, Australian college students of their remaining 12 months to intern for six months, then work for one more 12 months, gaining 1.5 years of expertise earlier than returning house.”
Amin famous that though universities like his help worldwide college students with job alternatives, it’s equally essential to leverage the presence of multinational corporations establishing operations in Malaysia.
“Only recently, Infineon introduced it’s coming to Kedah, establishing one in every of their industrial hubs with an funding of about AUD$10 billion. So it’s an enormous funding,” said Amin.
“I’m positive there’s a want for professionals, and that is an space the place we will work with the federal government to help our college students and graduates.”
Whereas Malaysia’s path to presumably turning into Asia’s topmost examine vacation spot appears promising, the nation, like different rising or superior economies, is searching for 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 providers for worldwide college students, set at 6% if tuition charges exceed RM60,000 (£10,500) per pupil per 12 months.
Although the British Council issued a assertion on how the SST might have an effect on UK TNE applications, particularly these run with personal native companion, Amin famous that there may very well be discussions on methods establishments would possibly take in the tax so it doesn’t impression college students.
“I noticed that there’s a number of dialogue concerning the enhance within the SST, and it may be mentioned with many of the universities,” said Amin.
“If we carry extra college students, perhaps the college can take in the SST, so that is the place we’re trying in direction of having a detailed dialogue with our companions.”
