PUTRAJAYA: The Education Ministry said today it is working closely with the Foreign Ministry for updates on the safety of Malaysian students in India and Pakistan following the escalation of tensions between the two South Asian neighbours.
Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik said the ministry was awaiting the updates from the Malaysian missions in New Delhi and Islamabad.
“We are trying to get access to further information on the situation there (in the two countries),” he told reporters after attending the launch of the national-level Road Safety Education Module for Primary Schools here.
Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan since a suicide car bombing that killed about 40 Indian paramilitary forces in Pulwama, India, on Feb 14.
Yesterday, Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority closed the airspace over the country to all commercial aircraft following the escalation of tensions. India had also temporarily closed several northern airports. Several flights were cancelled or diverted yesterday after the move by Pakistan and India.
Maszlee declined comment when asked about the decree of the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, rejecting the proposed establishment of a campus of the University of Muhammadiyah Prof Dr HAMKA in Johor.
A newspaper had reported Maszlee’s expression of support for the setting up of the campus of the Indonesian university in Johor.
Maszlee said the Education Ministry always welcomed prestigious foreign universities to set up their campus in Malaysia in line with the government effort to make Malaysia an international education hub.
“Many foreign universities have expressed interest to venture into Malaysia of late. We know of two universities in Japan which have had their applications approved to set up branches in the country.
“The University of Sheffield of the United Kingdom wants to initiate collaboration with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia,” he said.
– BERNAMA
