Malaysian Students Rejected at Indonesian Universities

The Star On Oct 11 2009 reported an article entitled 'KL to look outside Jakarta' referring to ' a claim by the vice-chancellor of Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Noh Dalimin that there were a few universities in Indonesia which wanted to stop accepting Malaysian students following various issues raised by certain parties in the republic.'

Those issues were reported in a University Worldwide news article entitled 'INDONESIA: Dispute over foreign students' by David Jardine on the 17 May 2009. The crux of it 'was he row involves the Ministry of National Education and the Heath Ministry with the Health Minister [Siti Fadilah Supari] claiming the number of foreign medical students disadvantages Indonesians.'

Lets examine the apparent and probable reasons for the Indonesian Health Ministry in its claims:
1. There may eventually be more foreigners than locals at Indonesians at their Universities
2. Indonesians are in need of doctors
3. The rift between Malaysian and Indonesia doesn't entitle us for a free ride in admission [which is less competitive than if an Indonesian wanted seats]

A rebuttal by the Ministry of Education Indonesia may have these points:
1. Only 13 of the 60 medical faculties at some 2,800 state and private universities accepted foreign students
2. Even these Universities have a limited 10% quota of total seats available
3. foreign students paid 10 times as much as their Indonesian counterparts and that the income thus generated could be used for the benefit of the locals.
4. Indonesian Unis may be a tough sell anywhere abroad apart from this niche of medical schools

The facts as we know it:

1. There are only two Universities whom are recognized who do in fact reject Malaysian students. These are
-Diponegoro University in Semarang, Central Java [08/29/2009 : jakarta post]
- University Indonesia, Jakarta

2. These Universities have had this policy for a while now. Susilo Wibowo the rector of Diponegoro commented that they have had this policy since 2006 . [University Indonesia in 2007]

3. Both University Diponegoro and University Indonesia still take students from Malaysia on a case to case basis [circa 4 per year]

4. The bulk of students never look at these universities anyway since the Diponegoro policy has been common knowledge and University Indoensia is pricey with their Australian tie up making it not widely sought after due to alternatives for that price.

Grey areas:

1. It is unclear if Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Noh Dalimin was refering to other Universities in Indonesia prompting our Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin to state that 'the ministry is willing to find other countries for Malaysian students.'

Conclusions

1. As of now nothing has changed. The two Universities that our students don't go to, accept only a very limited amount of Malaysian students.

2. We must keep notice for the other Universities but so far no hint of changes have surfaced.

3. We must take this news with a broader prespective of the Malaysian Medical Council doing an overview of Indonesian Universities [the subject of another article]. We hope it will not be a question of who will reject first in a 'saving face' gesture ? When giants collide a lot of people get trampled on, people these institutions have a need to protect.

4. As for now we [on the part of the college] are opening for availability another 16 universities recognized by the Malaysian Medical Council and the Public Services Department. These Universities are comparable in quality and price to Indonesia, just as alternatives, just in case.

5. We will also keep a close connection to the Universities themselves and the Malaysian medical Council for updates on their policies.