The moratorium on new medical programmes in Malaysia is under review and could be lifted as early as this year, according to Malaysia’s Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan.
“The ministry is reviewing the issue. We will bring it up to the Cabinet by February,” he said after opening the Star Education Fair 2015. In 2011, the Higher Education Ministry announced a five-year freeze on new medical programmes as an immediate measure to prevent the glut in housemen from becoming worse. The moratorium was to prohibit the launch of new medical programmes in the country, and existing medical schools were encouraged to focus more on quality.
Earlier in his speech, Kamalanathan said parents and students should explore study options beyond the traditional fields of medicine, engineering, law and accounting.
British Council commentary:
The Malaysian government originally imposed the five-year moratorium on medical programmes across the country after concerns grew following the rapid rise in the number of both accredited and unaccredited medical programmes in Malaysia. With some 11 public and 22 private higher education institutions offering medical degrees in 2011, many worried that the lack of teaching resources and hospital placements was negatively impacting the quality of medical education.
It is unclear whether the moratorium has succeeded in improving the average quality of medical graduates in Malaysia, or what has prompted the government to review the moratorium more than one year before it was set to expire, but the latest announcement suggests that interested UK institutions should keep an eye open for further policy announcements in the coming months.