By Amirul Syafiq Yusri
GOMBAK, 14 September 2021: Malaysias Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) announced that the admission of university students to their respective campuses will start gradually from 15 October 2021 to be monitored by the respective universities.
The announcement was made by its Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Noraini Ahmad through MOHEs official Facebook page.
Only those who have been fully vaccinated can enter their respective campus with approval letters by the university. The guideline includes the procedure for international students and fee reduction for Malaysians.
Fully vaccinated is specified in the announcement as two weeks after the second shot in a two-dose series, like Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after a single-shot vaccine like Johnson & Johnsons Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.
It is also highlighted that priority will be given to students who are in need.
The university will be instructed to issue approval letters as per the requirement of the Ministry.
As for swab tests, the Ministry urged the university administration to provide self-test kits as a precaution.
International students are also allowed to enter Malaysia for their studies including those from the United Kingdom. However, the following steps must be adhered to:
- Registered under Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) before being given approval by the Malaysian Immigration Department
- Underwent RT-PCR COVID-19 swab test at least 3 days before entering Malaysia
- Underwent health screening and compulsory quarantine at the provided location once arriving in Malaysia
As for the lectures, the Ministry announced that the hybrid mode of learning will be implemented. For online lectures, the students may opt to continue their sessions in their respective localities.
Furthermore, for sessions that require the use of labs and studios, it can be done in groups on the campus but with strict observance of the standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Apart from that, students and staff who have not yet been vaccinated are highly encouraged to do so. Vaccination can be done through a ‘walk-in’ at selected vaccination centres by bringing their student card or staff card with their ID or passport.
For the new intake students, an admission offer letter is the only required document along with their ID or passport.
Another news announced by Datuk Seri Dr. Noraini Ahmad was the reduction of as much as 20 per cent for this semesters fees for all Malaysians in public universities. It is an initiative to lessen the burden on the students.
Datuk Seri Dr. Noraini Ahmad also repeatedly emphasised the importance of following the SOPs. “It is hoped that all parties involved in the process will abide by the regulations to create a safe and conducive environment for all.”
For inquiries on latest announcement by MOHE, students can contact the official 24-hour line at 03-8870-6623 / 6628 / 6777 / 6949, the official MOHE website or even the universitys coordinator. ***