Kuala Lumpur: Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir is set to present a Cabinet Memorandum advocating for the establishment of law programmes as a new faculty in Sabah and Sarawak. The initiative aims to address the shortage of lawyers in these regions by reassessing the current moratorium on such programmes.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, this move by the Higher Education Ministry (MOHE) is part of a broader strategy to expand legal education in Sabah and Sarawak. Several universities are already collaborating with local institutions to facilitate this expansion. For example, Universiti Malaya (UM) has entered into a partnership with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) to offer a law programme, with the expectation that this collaboration will expedite the resolution of the moratorium issue.
As of the third quarter of 2023, seven public universities and 19 private higher education institutions offered undergraduate law degrees. The selection of universities to provide these programmes in Sabah and Sarawak will be finalized once the moratorium is lifted, aiming to meet the legal education needs of both states. Public universities like Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and UNIMAS are being considered for their potential roles in fulfilling the required intake, pending discussions with respective institutions.
The moratorium, imposed by the government since 2007, is seen as the main obstacle to expanding law programmes. The approach to implementation and student admissions will be left to the universities, with a flexible strategy encouraging enrolment in both full-time and part-time law programmes.
Furthermore, the ministry plans to review proposals for establishing new higher education institutions to meet current demands. Considerations will include the availability of experts, national capacity, financial constraints, and the types of programmes offered. Zambry highlighted the need for new educational institutions, such as polytechnics and community colleges, while acknowledging existing limitations that have led to insufficient student enrolment in some areas.