KUALA LUMPUR: Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) has reallocated its sponsored students for the 2025 and 2026 intakes from the United States to several alternative countries following policy and geopolitical uncertainties there.
In a written reply in the Dewan Rakyat, the Rural and Regional Development Ministry said the students would be placed in countries hosting leading universities that offer critical fields of study comparable to those in the US, with equivalent academic quality and global recognition.
It said the decision was a prudent risk management measure to ensure students are not exposed to risks arising from the prevailing political situation in that country.
"The placement of students in alternative countries in no way compromises access, quality or opportunities for Mara-sponsored students to obtain a world-class education in strategic fields required by the nation," the ministry said.
The ministry was responding to a question from Merbok member of parliament Mohd Nazri Abu Hassan on the rationale behind Mara's decision to stop sending sponsored students to the US, and whether the move took into account Bumiputera human capital development, access to world-class universities and national needs in critical, high-impact fields.
The ministry added that Mara would continue to monitor developments in the geopolitical and policy landscape in the US and was prepared to resume sending sponsored students to leading universities there should conditions become stable and conducive in the future.
The move demonstrates that Mara's sponsorship policy remains dynamic, flexible and focused on the best interests of Bumiputera human capital development at the international level, it said. - NST
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