Alumni calls on Malaysia to increase intake of Thai uni students

The Malaysian Universities Alumni of Thailand (MUAT) has urged Malaysia to increase the number of Thai university students studying in the country, in an effort to curb the ongoing violence in southern Thailand. Tuan Daniya Meringing, the president of MUAT, who studied at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), believes education is the key to bringing about change and peace in the region.

He highlights the historical context of the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909, which set the modern border between Malaysia and Thailand. Meringing points out that the southern Thai provinces have a population of around three to five million, and that many Thai students prefer studying in Malaysia due to proximity, cultural and linguistic similarities.

Over two million people currently reside in the affected regions of Pattani, Narathiwat, and Yala, where armed conflict has claimed over 7,000 lives since 2004. Meringing calls for Malaysia to play a more significant role in mediating peace and offers working permits for Thai workers employed at numerous cafes across the peninsula.

He attributes the ongoing violence to the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) separatist movement, rogue Thai security members, and narcotic syndicates, and urges rights groups to monitor the situation as part of peace initiatives.