KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 — The Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) is currently drafting measures to streamline immigration procedures to increase the number of international students coming to Malaysia, said Deputy Minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud.

"I have been informed that some countries have requested for the immigration process to Malaysia be relaxed a little to facilitate international students.

"We will discuss the matter further with the Ministry of Home Affairs (in the near future),” he told reporters at the Roundtable Discussion organised by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) here today.

He mentioned that MOHE, through its agency, Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS), constantly promotes Malaysian universities abroad.

The Roundtable Discussion convened the ambassadors of 19 countries to discuss matters related to the globalisation of the higher education sector.

Also present were UTM vice-chancellor Prof Ahmad Fauzi Ismail, and Michalis Rokas, the Ambassador and Head of the EU (European Union) Delegation to Malaysia.

In his speech, Mustapha emphasised that the roundtable presents a prime opportunity for Malaysian universities to deepen their insights through bilateral discussions to identify innovative solutions to drive the transformation of higher education.

"This event aims to encourage an interactive dialogue and conversation on ways to improve the global reputation of higher education institutions in Malaysia.

"This can be achieved through collaborative efforts between MOHE and the foreign embassies in Malaysia,” he said. — Bernama