SEPANG - The Higher Education Ministry has announced the exemption of tuition fees for over 600 Palestinian students studying at various levels in public universities in the country for a period of one year, effective immediately.
As for the remaining 200 Palestinian students studying in private institutions, Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said that the ministry has been discussing with said institutions to encourage them to do the same.
On top of that, Khaled added that the ministry is also considering providing monthly allowances to all 800 Palestinian students [both in public and private universities] in Malaysia for the same duration.
"All of this will involve a cost of approximately RM20 million. However, the exact quantum of these initiatives will be announced soon," he said during a press conference after officiating the Global Higher Education Forum (GHEF) 2023 here today.
Such a decision, Khaled explained, was made because the Malaysian government was concerned with the challenges and well-being of Palestinian students in the country following the ongoing siege and brutality done by the Israeli military in Gaza.
We are aware that Malaysia has Palestinian students, and they are among those directly affected by what is happening in their country. Their learning conditions may be disrupted, and they may no longer receive financial support from their families or sponsors.
"God willing, we pray for the situation in Gaza to recover and also in the West Bank so that violence and persecution no longer continue, allowing their lives to return to normal and that they can continue with their studies smoothly,” said Khaled.