Introduction to Malaysia

Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy in Southeast Asia. The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. Malaysia is a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural, which plays a large role in politics. The constitution declares Islam the state religion while protecting freedom of religion. The government system is closely modeled on the Westminster parliamentary system and the legal system is based on common law. The head of state is the king, known as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. The head of government is the Prime Minister.

Malaysia has had one of the best economic records in Asia, with GDP growing an average 6.5% for almost 50 years. The economy has traditionally been fueled by its natural resources, but is expanding in the sectors of science, tourism, commerce and medical tourism. Today, Malaysia has a newly industrialized market economy, ranked third largest in Southeast Asia.

 

Climate

The weather in Malaysia is sunny and rainy all year without extreme cold or hot weather conditions. The main variable of Malaysia's climate is not temperature or air pressure, but rainfall. In general, the climate of Malaysia can be described as typical tropical climate. Malaysia has extreme variations in rainfall that are linked with the monsoons. Generally speaking, there is a dry season (June to September), and a rainy season (December to March).

Geography

Malaysia is the 67th largest country by total land area, with a land area of 329,847 km2. It has land borders with Thailand in West Malaysia, and Indonesia and Brunei in East Malaysia. It is linked to Singapore by a narrow causeway and a bridge. The country also has maritime boundaries with Vietnam and the Philippines.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, the population of Malaysia was 28,334,135, making it the 42nd most populated country. The population of Malaysia consists of many ethnic groups. In 2010, Malaysian citizens, of which bumiputera were 67.4%, made up 91.8% of the population. According to constitutional definition, Malays are Muslims who practice Malay customs and culture. They play a dominant role politically.

Education

Undergraduate studies consist of bachelor degree levels and professional studies while postgraduate studies consist of master degrees and PhDs. Generally, higher education at the diploma level is for secondary school certificate (SPM) holders from the age of 17 onwards whereas pursuing a bachelor degree requires post-secondary qualifications such as STPM (which is equivalent to the GCE 'A' level) or other equivalent pre-university qualifications.

The Malaysian education structure can be divided into pre-tertiary and higher education levels. There are two governing authorities in the education sector. Pre-tertiary education (i.e. from pre-school to secondary education and teacher education) is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE) while higher education is the responsibility of the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia (MOHE).

The Universities of Malaysia are among some of the top universities in the world; the total number of universities in Malaysia is more than 100 universities including foreign institutions. This includes one of the world's best institutions.

 

Distinct Advantages of study in Malaysia
  • Established and high quality education system and standards
  • Malaysia's higher education system is of international standards, closely monitored by the Ministry of Higher Education, which has the vision to turn Malaysia into a Center of Excellence for Higher Education.
  • The Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) under the Ministry of Higher Education is a quality assurance body responsible for monitoring and overseeing the quality assurance practices and accreditation of national higher education.
  • Ability to get foreign degree qualifications studying fully in Malaysia from countries like US, UK, Australia, Canada, etc. at a much lower cost
  • In Malaysia, international and local students are able to get foreign degree qualifications from universities in Australia, US, UK, France, Canada, etc. through twinning and 3+0 degrees, as well as foreign university campuses that are already setup in Malaysia.
  • The infrastructure in Malaysia is one of the most developed in Asia with state-of-the-art health care and medical facilities, advanced telecommunications infrastructure, world-class university campus and facilities, and best expressway network in South East Asia.
  • Comparatively low expenditure of studying and living in Malaysia
  • The expenditure of studying and living in Malaysia is comparatively low to countries like Australia, US, UK, France, Canada, etc. as the Malaysian currency conversion is advantageous.
  • Straightforward immigration procedures
  • International students benefit from the easy and trouble-free immigration procedures as compared to many other countries which have tighter student immigration procedures.
  • Comfortable, peaceful and safe living in Malaysia
  • Malaysia is one of the safest and most political stable countries in the world with a relatively low crime rate and the country is free from most natural disasters which makes it an attractive country to live in.
  • Malaysia is a friendly, beautiful and culturally rich country - One that's extremely good value for money to travel in. It's modern enough to be comfortable yet full of natural beauty.
  • International students benefit from the experience of studying in Malaysia through the exposure of the different cultures and traditions of a multi-racial country which is valuable and not easily available.
  • Multi-language country allowing for ease of communication
  • English is widely used in Malaysia for daily communications

 

 

Asia Pacific University

The Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation is a private university in Malaysia. It was formed in 1993 as the Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology and was renamed in 2004 after being granted University College status to Asia Pacific University College of Technology and Innovation

UCSI University

UCSI University is a comprehensive university in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The University has been consistently moving up its rankings and has distinguished itself as a higher learning institution with years of track record in providing educational excellence since its establishment

INTI International University

INTI International University & Colleges are private university colleges located in Malaysia. The main campus was initially known as INTI University College until 31 May 2010 when the Higher Education Ministry announced its upgrade to university status.

Taylor's University

Taylor’s University is a private university in Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. It is often regarded as Malaysia’s top private university in Malaysia based on the Quacquarelli Symonds Rankings. It was founded in 1969 as a college, was awarded university college status in 2006, and university status in 2010

Heriot-Watt University

Heriot-Watt has established an excellent reputation for its quality of education over the years, performing consistently in world university rankings. It is ranked 302nd in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2019. The university is also ranked 9th in the UK for research impac

Quest International University Perak

Quest International University Perak (QIU) (DU021(A)) is a private and comprehensive research-led university established in the Malaysian state of Perak under the Higher Educational Institutions Act 555 on June 12 2008.

SEGi University & Colleges

SEGi University & Colleges is a private tertiary institution for accounting, early childhood. engineering, business etc. in Kota Damansara, Selangor. SEGi is one of the largest private higher education providers in Malaysia.

Curtin University Malaysia

Curtin University, Malaysia is the largest international campus of Curtin University, a university based in Perth, Western Australia. It provides local and international students with higher education in Sarawak, Malaysia.

Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus

Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus is the foreign branch campus of Swinburne University and is located in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Established in 2000, Swinburne Sarawak operates as a partnership between the Sarawak State Government and Swinburne Australia.

Sunway University

Sunway University is a private university in Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. It has a 10 hectare campus comprising academic and residential blocks adjacent to the Sunway Lagoon theme park. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes taught in English