PUTRAJAYA, August 3 (2026– The Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) will continue to closely monitor the safety of Malaysian students in West Asian countries by seeking guidance from the Foreign Ministry following the evolving security situation in the region.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said MOHE has taken note of recent developments, including the United States’ travel advisory urging its citizens to leave the region, and will take all necessary precautionary measures to ensure the safety of Malaysian students.
He said MOHE relies on Wisma Putra (Foreign Ministy) as its main point of reference and will continue to seek the ministry’s guidance to ensure that the movements and welfare of Malaysian students studying in the region are closely monitored.
“In this crisis involving Iran, we know that the United States’ foreign policy is constantly changing. Today’s decision may be different tomorrow. Nevertheless, we will take every necessary precaution to ensure the whereabouts of Malaysians, particularly our students in West Asian countries, are closely monitored and that their safety is guaranteed,” he said.
He told reporters this after the closing ceremony of the International Charisma Programme: Malaysia MADANI Nationhood 2026, here today.
Meanwhile, Zambry said 456 Malaysian students scheduled to pursue their studies in Egypt, Jordan and Morocco from Sept 1 had participated in the International Charisma Programme organised byMOHEÂ in collaboration with the Malaysia Nationhood Academy (AKM).
He said MOHE had not received any information indicating that the situation in Egypt, Jordan or Morocco had affected Malaysian students, but the ministry stood ready to take immediate action should there be any developments.
He said the AKM programme provided students with the opportunity to receive briefings, obtain guidance and interact directly with ministry officials, while ensuring their welfare continued to be safeguarded.
“We have ensured that all Education Malaysia offices, including those in Egypt and Jordan, are always prepared. Although we do not have an Education Malaysia office in Morocco, matters relating to students there are coordinated through our office in Egypt,” he said.
Commenting on the number of Malaysian students in the Middle East, Zambry said there were thousands of Malaysians studying in Egypt, while Jordan had an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 Malaysian students. The number in Morocco remained relatively small but was steadily increasing.
He said Malaysian students in Egypt were not only pursuing Islamic studies but were also enrolled in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and other professional fields needed by the country.
Earlier, in his speech, Zambry said Malaysian students pursuing higher education abroad were strategic national assets and expressed hope that they would return to contribute their knowledge and expertise to the country’s development after completing their studies.
He also reminded students that the pursuit of knowledge should not be confined to academic achievement alone, but should also encompass character building through the concepts of *ta’lim* (imparting knowledge), *tarbiah* (personal development) and *ta’dib* (instilling ethics and moral values).
Zambry added that Malaysia is now a study destination for students from about 180 countries, reflecting the international community’s confidence in the quality and competitiveness of the country’s higher education system.
He said the achievement demonstrated that local higher education institutions continued to receive global recognition and did not depend solely on enrolment from any particular country.
— BERNAMA
