The private education sector in Malaysia has been growing in popularity among international students, particularly those from Asia. Whilst many of the students come from North Asia, particularly China, there are also significant numbers from other Asian countries such as Indonesia and Bangladesh enrolled in Malaysian education institutions. There also appears to be a shift in the demographics of the students, with an increasing number of international students who are self-paying and looking to the country as a destination of choice for private education.

Recent news reports also indicate that many international schools in Johor are seeing a steady year-on-year increase of Singaporean enrolments. There are currently 29 international schools listed in the southern state of Johor on the Malaysian Education Ministry website - the third largest number of international schools in the country behind Selangor (98) and Kuala Lumpur (38). The number of international schools as well as students from Singapore and other countries is expected to increase with the setting up of Johor's Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and Special Financial Zone (SFZ) by year end.

Media reports have also picked up on a growing interest in pursuing education opportunities in Malaysia among students in Brunei, citing some of the possible reasons for this enthusiasm as "proximity, cultural similarities, and affordable quality education".

What this means for the UK sector

With the increasing interest from international students, Malaysia is well-positioned to continue its growth as a regional transnational education (TNE) and education hub. The nation has set ambitious goals in its journey toward becoming a high-income developed country, aiming to enhance international collaborations and foster the exchange of knowledge and talent across borders. It is anticipated that Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025 will further boost this favourable positioning of Malaysia in the regional education landscape.

The growth in the number of international students in Malaysia and the uptick in the demand for enrolment in Malaysian schools and universities is a positive for mobility to the UK as many international school students go on to study in the UK, Australia or the US. It also means that continued investment in Malaysia could bring in increased returns with outreach activities reaching not just Malaysians but students from other countries as well. It also provides opportunities for UK institutions to collaborate on delivering innovative TNE programmes that can cater to the needs of this new Asian market. This also opens up the potential for UK universities to explore multilateral partnerships that can capture the interest of this international market. The anticipated growth in the number of international schools, especially in the state of Johor, may also increase the demand for talent development and teacher training programmes in the coming year.