New rules for foreign students after terror scare

Move is to ensure they are not involved in terrorist activities.

BESUT: There will be new and tighter rules in place to block terrorist activities by foreign students.

Higher Education Minister Idris Jusoh said the move was to ensure that foreign students were not involved in terrorist activities such as the Islamic State (IS) militant group.

The Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) “does not issue visas to foreign students. The approval is done by the Home Ministry and the Immigration Department. It is done at EMGS (Education Malaysia Global Services) in the presence of Immigration officers.

“We will continue to work with both parties, including tightening the conditions for granting of visas to curb terrorist activities among foreign students in this country,” he told reporters after attending an environmental programme here today according to Bernama.

Recently, the Inspector General of Police, Khalid Abu Bakar revealed that two foreign students at Al-Madinah International University in Shah Alam had been arrested for alleged terrorist activities.

The two foreign students have been expelled by the university.

They were among seven men arrested between Nov 3 and Dec 16 for terrorist activities.

Idris said MOHE has enhanced the monitoring of Malaysian students overseas to make sure they are not involved in terrorist activities.

“We have not received any reports of the involvement of our overseas students in terrorist activities.” -FMT