Kuala lumpur: Malaysia is prepared to send an additional 100 Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA)-sponsored students to New Zealand following placement restrictions in the United States, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. He mentioned that several universities in New Zealand have shown readiness to accept Malaysian students, aligning with the government’s efforts to expand competitive and viable overseas education destinations.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, several universities in New Zealand have offered placements to MARA-sponsored students, and potentially also to those sponsored by Petronas, the Public Service Department (JPA), and other agencies. Dr Ahmad Zahid emphasized that he has set a key performance indicator (KPI) for Malaysia’s High Commissioner to New Zealand, Mazita Marzuki, to ensure the success of this initiative.

He noted that currently, there are only 690 Malaysian students in New Zealand. This number is significantly lower than in the past, partly due to the wider availability of courses in Malaysia and the rising cost of overseas education.