KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 — Malaysian universities will resume some physical lessons from March 1 notwithstanding the country’s Covid-19 situation, the Higher Education Ministry announced today.

The ministry said it held consultations with the Health Ministry, the National Security Council, student bodies, health experts and others before arriving at the decision it asserted was what most students wanted.

"As such, based on the outcome of these sessions, the NSC has agreed to allow six categories of students to be physically present at campuses as soon as March 1 to resume hybrid teaching and learning (PDP), which is both physical and online lessons,” it said in a statement.

The categories of students resuming physical classes from March 1 are those enrolled in programmes requiring practical, clinical, studio and workshop training; those without facilities conducive to online learning; foundational level students with campuses able to support hybrid learning; all international students except those from the UK; special needs students; and students taking the Malaysian University English Test (MUET), as well as international and professional examinations.

Hybrid learning will be fully compliant with the NSC’s standard operating procedures to curb Covid-19 infections, the ministry said.

"Students not included in these necessary student categories will continue with online learning,” the ministry added.

Students arriving at Sabah campuses from the peninsula are required to undergo a Covid-19 swab test at the ministry’s cost while those entering Sarawak will be required to perform a 14-day quarantine.

Sabah and Sarawak students travelling to campuses in the peninsula will be isolated at facilities prepared by their respective institutions of higher learning.

The ministry said the institutions of higher learning are to adhere to existing SOPs governing the higher education sector.

Malaysia is still battling with a third wave of Covid-19 infections that has been responsible for over 200,000 infections.

Today, the Health Ministry reported 5,298 more Covid-19 cases, making it the third consecutive day that new cases have remained above 5,000.