Malaysia to curb student visa abuse among foreigners

Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Higher Education are joining hands to curb any abuses of student visas among foreign students, a senior official said Tuesday.

"From now on, we will re-examine all the procedures and see how we can lower the possibility of abuse of visa rulings," Minister of Home Affairs Radzi Sheikh Ahmad said.

He made the remarks when asked to comment on recent news reports that many foreigners, especially Bangladeshis, have come to work in Malaysia with student visas.

The Immigration Department is monitoring several private colleges in Kuala Lumpur where some Bangladeshi students seldom attended classes, the minister told reporters in the administrative center of Putrajaya.

Malaysia encourages foreign students to seek education in this country, but education promoters should provide foreign students with correct information on the conditions of part-time work here, noted Radzi.

Foreign students are allowed to work a maximum of 20 hours a week only during semester breaks at places such as petrol stations, kiosk stands, hotels and restaurants, added the minister.

Source: Xinhua