Overseas students applying to Malaysian universities will have to take out medical insurance, take Malay language lessons and obtain a standard student card and proof of acceptance from a higher education institution before they can apply for a visa according to newly established Malaysian education authority.

Education Malaysia Global Services –EMGS- has been established by the Malaysian government and oversee all matters related to foreign students and the Immigration Department.

Malaysia is one of Asia’s fastest growing education hubs – home to some 95,000 foreign students and one of the top destinations for international branches of well-known UK universities such as the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus.

EMGS will seek to enforce the new restrictions and check students have sufficient funds for their education before issuing visas. The new body will also coordinate the promotion and marketing of Malaysia’s higher education as well as the recruitment of and support services for international students.

Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin told the Star – Asia News Network that foreign students would also need to take Bahasa Malaysia during the first year of their studies to help them interact better with Malaysians. Khaled said these measures would ensure that only genuine foreign students came to Malaysia to study.

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