PUTRAJAYA: The Education Ministry is closely monitoring the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, following the latest clashes affecting the two countries.
Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik said the ministry also obtaining the latest developments from the Foreign Ministry, especially those concerning Malaysian students, who are in both countries.
“We are trying to get developments regarding the situation over there. The Education Ministry is waiting for the latest information from the Malaysian High Commission in New Delhi and the Malaysian High Commission in Islamabad,” he told reporters after the launch of the National Revised Road Safety Education Module for Primary Schools on Thursday.
Malaysia had on Wednesday expressed its concern, through Wisma Putra, over the recent tension between India and Pakistan.
Malaysia, said the ministry in a statement, encouraged both countries to exercise maximum restraint and to re-engage in dialogue and negotiations.
Meanwhile, on plans to build the Prof Dr Hamka Muhammadiyah University (Uhamka) in Pagoh, Maszlee said the ministry always welcomed well-known foreign universities to open their branch campuses in Malaysia as the government works towards transforming Malaysia in an international education hub.
“Many foreign universities are interested in coming to Malaysia. As we know, two universities in Japan have received approval to build their respective branch campuses here. In addition, the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom has also expressed its keenness to work with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia,” he said.
It was reported the Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar had opposed to the plans to build the Uhamka branch campus in the state after reviewing the matter thoroughly to avoid confusion, conflict and disunity among the Muslims in Johor.