PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring equitable access to higher education for Malaysians, announcing a significant increase in places for top-performing students while also reiterating Malaysia’s support for Timor-Leste’s full membership in ASEAN.
Speaking at the MADANI Excellent SPM Programme in Ipoh, Anwar stressed that expanding educational opportunities remains a national priority, especially amid growing concerns over limited university placements.
“We are listening to all the concerns — and have found a solution through negotiation. Don’t worry, this is our responsibility,” he said. “Even with 170,000 international students wanting to study here, we will give priority to Malaysians.”
Anwar revealed that under Budget 2026, the government will offer 1,500 additional places for outstanding Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) and matriculation students to pursue degrees in ten key disciplines at five of the country’s research universities. These include law, accounting, banking, Islamic finance, artificial intelligence, economics, and languages.
Emphasising a long-standing principle, Anwar noted: “Education has always received the largest budget allocation. Most countries spend the most on defence, but we are fortunate to live in peace — so we invest in education, because that is our future.”
The Prime Minister also clarified that international students should not be viewed as a threat to domestic education opportunities.
“If they come here, they pay full fees. Don’t stop them. We need foreign student participation — they are part of our vision to become an international education hub,” he said.
Present at the event were Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh and 1,500 SPM candidates.
Timor-Leste to Join ASEAN as Full Member on 26 October
Separately, Anwar confirmed that Timor-Leste will officially be inducted as a full member of ASEAN on 26 October, marking a milestone in Southeast Asia’s regional integration.
Speaking during an engagement with students at Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) in Seri Iskandar, Anwar said Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair, had actively championed Timor-Leste’s membership.
“We supported Timor-Leste from the beginning, but recently we’ve worked hard to ensure it becomes a permanent member. With the cooperation of the Foreign Ministry, Alhamdulillah, it will be official on 26 October,” he said.
The announcement precedes the 47th ASEAN Summit to be held in Kuala Lumpur from 26 to 28 October, which will welcome global leaders including US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping.
Timor-Leste, which gained independence in 2002, applied for ASEAN membership in 2011. Malaysia has since contributed US$200,000 to the Timor-Leste Unit at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta and provided technical training for over 300 Timorese officials via the Malaysia Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP).
In July, ASEAN Foreign Ministers reiterated their support for Timor-Leste’s full integration, including participation in regional economic agreements under the ASEAN Economic Community framework. - October 11, 2025
