{
  "id": 2148585,
  "title": "UiTM halts international undergrad intake to prioritise Bumi B40 students",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/uitm-halts-international-undergrad-intake-to-prioritise-bumi-b40",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-20T13:48:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/08/20/uitm-halts-international-undergrad-intake-to-prioritise-bumi-b40-students"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) has suspended international undergraduate enrollments for the last two years in order to concentrate on supporting students from the Bumiputera community. Vice-Chancellor Shahrin Sahib @ Sahibuddin explained that this action aims to provide better access to higher education for children from B40 households, Orang Asli, and residents of Sabah and Sarawak. The decision aligns with UiTM's commitment to maintaining affordable tuition fees to ensure continued access to education for the B40 group. Despite the lack of international students at the undergraduate level, Shahrin assured that UiTM remains dedicated to ascending from its current position of 549th to become part of the world's top 300 universities in the QS World University Rankings. This commitment was showcased during the unveiling of the UiTM2030 Strategic Plan, a five-year action framework emphasizing academic excellence, financial stability, and digital transformation to produce globally competitive graduates from the Bumiputera community. The plan aims to generate 25% of the university's income through postgraduate, preparatory, and adult education programs via the Institute of Continuing Education and Professional Studies (iCEPS). Additionally, UiTM is harnessing the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning for the Award of Qualifications (Apel.Q) and work-based learning. Currently, over 200 military personnel are enrolled in diploma courses from their workplaces without the need for campus attendance.",
  "summary": "UiTM vice-chancellor Shahrin Sahib @ Sahibuddin says the Orang Asli community, as well as residents of Sabah and Sarawak will also get priority.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "UiTM stops international undergraduate intake for 2 years to prioritise Bumiputera, says VC",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/uitm-stops-international-undergraduate-intake-for-2-years-to",
        "published": "2026-08-20T13:44:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "UiTM halts international undergrad intake to prioritise Bumi B40 students",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/uitm-halts-international-undergrad-intake-to-prioritise-bumi-b40-2151238",
        "published": "2026-08-20T13:48:30.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}