
MOHE strengthens cooperation with Indonesia
The ministry, in a statement today, said that among the areas of cooperation set to be strengthened with Indonesia include research collaboration and the mobility of lecturers and students in strategic fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), renewable energy technology and aerospace.
It said cooperation between higher education institutions in both countries will also be a key focus, building upon existing collaborations in the higher education sector.
This commitment was formalised following a two-day working visit by ministry Secretary-General Datuk Dr Anesee Ibrahim to Indonesia on Friday.
During the visit, he attended a series of programmes, meetings, and courtesy visits with his Indonesian counterparts, which successfully opened new avenues and opportunities for enhanced bilateral cooperation in higher education between Malaysia and Indonesia.
Indonesia remains one of the top countries sending students to pursue higher education in Malaysia, with 11,293 Indonesian students recorded as of March 2025.
As of December last year, there were 464 collaboration agreements established between Malaysian and Indonesian higher education institutions, covering initiatives such as student and academic staff mobility for capacity-building programmes.
In addition, the Malaysia International Scholarship initiative continues to offer opportunities for Indonesian students to further their studies at Malaysian institutions of higher education, with 21 students benefitting from the programme as of December 2024.
"The ministry is confident that efforts to promote Malaysia as a preferred destination for international students will further enhance the country's image globally.
"The higher education internationalisation policy, which is aligned with current global trends and demands, will help strengthen Malaysia's competitiveness on the world stage, in line with the core values of Malaysia Madani, namely sustainability, prosperity, creativity and confidence."
– Bernama
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Aeon Credit issues 10th sukuk wakalah of RM150mil
KUALA LUMPUR: Aeon Credit Service (M) Bhd has made its 10th issuance of sukuk wakalah under the Islamic commercial papers (ICP) programme today, with a total nominal amount of RM150 million and a 179-day tenure starting from July 14, 2025. "The proceeds will be utilised for financing of disbursements to customers in the ordinary course of business of providing consumer financing based on Shariah principle, financing expenses relating to the ICP programme, and refinancing any existing and future Islamic financing facilities of the issuer,' it said in a Bursa Malaysia filing. - Bernama


The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Ringgit eases against US dollar amid cautious market sentiment
KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit closed easier against the US dollar on Monday, tracking the performance of its regional peers, as market sentiment remained extremely guarded while the foreign exchange market navigated a period of economic uncertainties. At 6 pm, the local note weakened to 4.2505/2560 against the greenback from last Friday's close of 4.2475/2525. Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said the ringgit initially appreciated against the US dollar in the morning session to RM4.2455 but later stabilised at around RM4.25 in the afternoon. "Asian currencies were also generally weak against the US dollar. The US tariffs continue to hog the limelight as the Donald Trump administration maintained its hawkish stance towards the European Union and Mexico with 30 per cent tariffs. "At the same time, Trump's frustration with Russia over the Ukraine war suggests that the fighting could prolong. Trump has indicated that his administration will send Patriot missiles to Ukraine to help it defend against Russia's missile attacks,' he said. Brent crude oil is currently trading above US$70 per barrel. At the close, the ringgit was traded mostly higher against a basket of major currencies. It strengthened against the British pound to 5.7305/7379 from 5.7524/7592, improved against the Japanese yen to 2.8858/8897 from 2.8893/8929 but traded marginally lower versus the euro to 4.9693/9757 from 4.9679/9737. The local note also trended mostly higher against ASEAN currencies. The ringgit traded slightly higher vis-à-vis the Singapore dollar at 3.3184/3229 from 3.3186/3228, improved against the Indonesian rupiah to 261.5/262.0 from 261.8/262.3 previously, and strengthened versus the Philippine peso at 7.50/7.51 from 7.52/7.53. But, it dropped against the Thai baht to 13.1213/1439 from 13.0668/0886 from Friday's close. - Bernama


The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Data centres to boost construction jobs in 2H25
PETALING JAYA: The second half of 2025 (2H25) will see more job flows coming the way of construction companies, driven by key structural themes such as the expansion of data centres (DCs) and the ongoing development of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, which is gaining traction. Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB) Research said the DC award cycle in 2H25 follows multiple award decisions for DC tenders made in 1H25, including five multibillion ringgit tenders for one US-based hyperscaler. 'For the DC segment, we take a 'big is better'' view, anticipating further inroads to be made by sector's big-three players (namely Gamuda Bhd , Sunway Construction Group Bhd and IJM Corp Bhd ), riding on competitive advantages such as balance sheet strength, track record and the ability to leverage their integrated structures, including access to building material supply chains and bundled offerings in power and water infrastructure,' HLIB Research said in a report. While concerns have arisen from reports of potential artificial intelligence (AI) chip export curbs on Malaysia, these remain unconfirmed and lack actionable details. HLIB Research added that Malaysian contractors' reliance on US and Western hyperscalers for large DC projects somewhat mitigates these uncertainties, with exemptions possible – this remains their base case. Year-to-date contracts awarded have totalled RM28.9bil, marking a 39.5% year-on-year (y-o-y) growth. 'In 1H25, total DC-related contracts awarded came in at RM3.3bil (31% y-o-y fall), a slower pace when compared to the frenetic pace achieved in 1H24,' it said. Beyond DC projects, HLIB Research said 2H25 could see subcontract and system package awards for the Penang light rail transit, as well as progress on major Sabah and Sarawak road projects such as the Sabah–Sarawak Link Road. As for the commercial segment, including residential projects built on commercial land, HLIB Research said uncertainty over the sales and service tax (SST) treatment could weigh on activity in the third quarter of 2025. Developers may delay project launches until there is clarity on how SST will be applied to such developments. HLIB Research said the recent removal of the SST exemption for the construction sector, from 0% to 6%, should be manageable overall as most contracts allow for cost adjustments. 'We retain our 'overweight' sector call, anticipating sustained contract flows in 2H25 anchored by DCs, infrastructure rollout and still buoyant private sector sentiment. In our view, contractors broadly can still add to order books from the DC segment as well as infrastructure projects.' HLIB Research said forward sector valuations remains palatable, trading at price-to-earning and price-to-book multiples of 19.1 times and 1.3 times, respectively.