Kota kinabalu: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has stressed that the increased intake of international students does not come at the expense of local students, particularly Sabahans seeking places at public universities.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, UMS vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Kasim Md Mansur refuted claims that international student enrolment in public universities is sidelining local students as inaccurate and baseless. He cited official UMS figures showing local student enrolment rose from 18,286 in 2024 to 20,287 in 2025, an increase of 2,001 students or 10.94 per cent. During the same period, international student enrolment grew modestly from 712 to 873.

"These facts clearly show that the rise in international students has occurred alongside, not instead of, increased local student intake," he clarified. Kasim said claims that international students are crowding out local students cannot be based solely on overall enrolment figures, which include undergraduate, postgraduate, mobility, online, and short-term programmes, each with separate admission criteria.

He noted that international intake for undergraduate programmes is capped at roughly 10 per cent, safeguarding local student priority. As a university rooted in Sabah and Borneo, UMS is committed to maximising access to higher education for Borneo's children, including those from rural and interior areas, he emphasised.

At the same time, international students are key to the national push for global engagement in higher education, driving academic quality, research, global partnerships and the reputation of Malaysian universities worldwide. Kasim added that this push is reflected in global university assessments, such as the QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education.

"The internationalisation initiative does not sideline Sabahans or Malaysians in any way. On the contrary, it brings the world to Sabah, along with economic spillovers that contribute to state development through the tourism and education sectors," he said. He assured that UMS will continue to strike a balance between fulfilling its mandate as a public university for Malaysians and elevating Sabah's name as a respected knowledge hub in the region.

He added that any debate on bringing in foreign students should be grounded in facts and data, not perceptions that could mislead the public.