Compulsory secondary education must be backed by supportive ecosystem
This is a vital step towards reducing school absenteeism and early school leavers, enhancing educational attainment, improving literacy, and strengthening Malaysia's long-term human capital development.
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Malay Mail
20 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Australia to raise foreign student cap to 295,000 in 2026, with priority for South-east Asians
SYDNEY, Aug 4 — Australia will raise its cap on foreign students by 9 per cent to 295,000 next year and prioritise applicants from South-east Asia, the government said today. Limits on places were announced last year as a way to rein in record migration that had contributed to a surge in housing prices, with 270,000 places made available for 2025. An additional 25,000 places were being granted in 2026 as the policy was successfully bringing down 'out of control' international student numbers, the government said. 'This is about making sure international education grows in a way that supports students, universities and the national interest,' Education Minister Jason Clare said in a statement. Australia granted nearly 600,000 student visas in the 2023 financial year, as international students returned to the country in record numbers following Covid-19. Australia's largest cohorts of students come from China and India. As well as introducing the cap on numbers, the government also more than doubled the visa fee for foreign students in 2024 and pledged to close loopholes in rules that allowed them to continuously extend their stay. The government's measures to curb migration were 'bearing fruit' and allowed for a modest increase in the cap in 2026, International Education Assistant Minister Julian Hill said. 'The numbers were growing out of control,' Hill told national broadcaster ABC. 'The government has taken tough decisions over the last 12 months, not always loved by the sector, to get the numbers down and get them to a more sustainable footing.' Roughly two-thirds of places will be allocated to universities and one-third to the vocational skills training sector. Larger, public universities would need to demonstrate domestic and international students had 'access to safe and secure housing' and recruit more students from South-east Asia to increase their individual allocations, the government said. It was important 'for Australia's future soft power that we continue to bring the best and brightest from our (South-east Asian) neighbours to have a bit of Australia with them for the rest of their life', Hill said. Relations with South-east Asia have been a focus of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's Labor government as it looks to reduce Australia's economic dependence on China. Universities Australia welcomed the 'sensible' increase in places. 'Universities have called for growth in this critically important sector, and the government has honoured this,' CEO Luke Sheehy said. Australia has one of the highest shares of international students globally. The sector contributed more than AUD51 billion (USD$33.05 billion) to the economy in 2024, the country's top services export. — Reuters
New Straits Times
21 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Don't politicise school flag incident, says Loke
SEREMBAN: Transport Minister Anthony Loke has expressed hope that no parties will attempt to politicise the issue involving the upside-down display of the Jalur Gemilang at a school in Port Dickson recently. He said the Education Ministry is currently investigating the matter to determine whether the mistake was intentionally done or otherwise. "Every time such an issue arises (incorrect display of the Jalur Gemilang), there will be some who try to politicise it. "However, we should allow the ministry to carry out its investigation and determine whether it was done intentionally or not, as the Jalur Gemilang is a symbol of national identity and must be treated with pride and respect. "As such, there is no need for anyone to exploit this issue for political gain," he said after launching the Merdeka Month celebrations for the Seremban parliamentary constituency at a school here today. Yesterday, SJKC Chung Hua in Port Dickson issued a public apology over the upside-down display of the Jalur Gemilang at its premises on Friday. The school board, Parent-Teacher Association and school administration, in a joint statement, expressed deep regret over the incident, which they described as an unintentional mistake. They said the incident occurred on Aug 1 when a school worker mistakenly installed one of the flags upside down. Meanwhile, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the ministry would take firm action once it receives the full investigation report on the matter. She said the incident was serious, as all parties had been repeatedly reminded of the importance and sensitivity of the national flag. Commenting further, Loke, who is also the Seremban member of parliament, said the Jalur Gemilang must be displayed correctly and respectfully. "We have reminded everyone that when raising the Jalur Gemilang, it must be done properly and with respect. Sensitivity is important. "However, mistakes can sometimes happen unintentionally, and we leave it to the ministry to investigate," he said.
New Straits Times
a day ago
- New Straits Times
Home Ministry approves nearly 2,000 overseas-born children's citizenship applications
KUALA LUMPUR: The Home Ministry has approved a total of 1,980 citizenship applications for Malaysian children born overseas, the Dewan Rakyat was told today. Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the Constitution (Amendment) Act 2024, which allows both Malaysian mothers and fathers to confer citizenship to their children born abroad, is still pending full implementation. He said that while the amendment was passed by the Dewan Rakyat last year, it must go through several procedural steps before it can take effect. "After the constitutional amendment passed, the issue of children born abroad to Malaysian mothers married to foreign spouses will be resolved automatically — or by operation of law. "However, this isn't yet in effect. "We still need to secure the effective date, which requires the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's assent, as stated in Section 1(2). That is the current status," he said. Saifuddin was responding to Chiew Choon Man (PH–Miri), who asked about the latest guidelines for Malaysian children born overseas following the constitutional amendment, specifically whether they need to reapply. He said that until the amendment takes effect, Malaysian mothers with foreign spouses may continue to apply for their children's citizenship through the existing process. These applications will be handled under Article 15(2) of the Federal Constitution and can be submitted at any National Registration Department (NRD) office nationwide or at Malaysian diplomatic missions abroad. Regarding the Malaysian Citizenship Regulations 1964, Saifuddin said the revision is expected to be completed by September or October this year. He added that the ministry needs time to review and refine the 57 clauses in the regulations, after which several procedural updates will follow. "We will then need to amend the forms, as these applications will be made online. "This is because the system used by Malaysian representative offices abroad still relies on outdated forms and formats. So, this process must be carried out carefully. "We don't expect the process to extend beyond mid or end of next year, although this timeline remains subject to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's assent," he said.
