Open-channel admissions will not affect public university quotas, says Zambry

The Higher Education Minister, Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, has clarified that open-channel admissions to public universities will not impact the quotas allocated through the centralised UPU system. He assured that open-channel admissions account for only a small percentage of intake and are limited to courses with available places, not driven by revenue considerations.

Zambry maintained that the quotas set for public universities would be preserved as the issue does not arise. On tuition fees, he acknowledged that disparities existed, particularly for critical courses like accounting, engineering, and artificial intelligence. He mentioned that the government continued to increase allocations and quotas for these fields to accommodate the large number of qualified students.

Poverty or financial constraints should not prevent students from studying at public universities, as various forms of financial assistance are available, he added.

Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Tiong King Sing reported that Malaysia saw 32.26 million international visitor arrivals from January to September, a 2.4% increase compared to the same period last year. The government is continuing to intensify tourism promotion despite global geopolitical challenges. Tourism Malaysia has partnered 24 airlines for 46 international routes, with 35 being new routes and 11 existing routes.

The business events segment, including MICE, experienced significant growth, with its economic impact rising by 113.7% to RM1.24 billion in the second quarter. The number of events increased by 81.2% to 125, and international delegate attendance rose by 105.2% to 83,596. Tiong allocated RM10 million to MyCEB to attract more high-impact MICE and international sporting events.

Additionally, the government extended tax incentives for organising international-standard events for 2028 to 2030.

Deputy Speaker Dr Ramli Mohd Nor thanked the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry for organizing the Sewang Festival, which brought together 18 Orang Asli ethnic groups on October 24. He mentioned that the festival had the potential to attract international tourists, with a national-level edition planned for the following year.