London: Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) will cease sending sponsored students to the United States starting this year, following the introduction of new policies under President Donald Trump’s administration. Chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki stated that discussions have already begun to explore alternative destinations for students in pre-university programs who were previously bound for the U.S.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr Asyraf highlighted that MARA plans to redirect students to countries offering similar academic programs, such as the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and China. These alternatives are considered to be more cost-effective. He made these remarks during a press conference at a working visit to the United Kingdom, where he is holding strategic meetings with senior academics and top management of the University of Cambridge.

The meeting aims to explore potential MARA-Cambridge collaborations to elevate the quality of education and strengthen the nation’s human capital development. Dr Asyraf emphasized that MARA is also engaging with its 266 sponsored students currently in the U.S. to facilitate their transfer to other countries offering similar fields of study. These fields include computer science, engineering, and high-tech areas like robotics and artificial intelligence (AI).

Dr Asyraf noted that the recent policy changes introduced by President Trump necessitate a serious review of the potential impact on students, including rising living costs and academic disruptions. International media previously reported that the Trump administration had issued a directive to halt the processing of all student visas and was considering vetting new applicants based on their social media activity.