UMS Refutes Claims That International Students Crowd Out Local Sabahans

KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 — Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has strongly dismissed allegations that its growing intake of international students comes at the expense of local applicants, particularly Sabahans seeking admission into public higher education institutions.

In an official statement released today, UMS Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Kasim Md Mansur described assertions that foreign student enrolment sidelines local youths as both inaccurate and baseless. To counter these assertions, Kasim presented verified institutional data indicating that local student enrolment at UMS actually experienced a significant increase, climbing from 18,286 in 2024 to 20,287 in 2025. This represents an upward surge of 2,001 students, or a 10.94 percent growth.

By comparison, the university’s international student population saw a far more modest increase over the same period, moving from 712 to 873 individuals.

“These facts clearly show that the rise in international students has occurred alongside, not instead of, increased local student intake,” Kasim clarified.

The Vice-Chancellor further explained that public perceptions regarding the displacement of local students cannot be accurately drawn from aggregate enrolment figures alone. He noted that total numbers encompass a wide variety of pathways—including undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, mobility programmes, online courses, and short-term certifications—all of which operate under distinct and independent admission criteria. Furthermore, he emphasized that the international intake for undergraduate programmes is strictly capped at approximately 10 percent, ensuring that local applicants retain absolute priority.

As an institution deeply rooted in Sabah and the wider Borneo region, UMS remains firmly committed to maximizing educational opportunities for local children, with a special emphasis on empowering those from rural and interior communities.

At the same time, Kasim highlighted that welcoming international scholars remains crucial to Malaysia’s broader national agenda of global engagement within higher education. The presence of global students drives academic excellence, fosters robust research, builds international partnerships, and elevates the global standing of Malaysian universities in prominent assessments like 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,” Kasim stated.

Reaffirming the university’s mission, Kasim assured stakeholders that UMS will continue to balance its primary mandate as a public university for Malaysians while simultaneously elevating Sabah’s profile as a respected regional hub for knowledge. He concluded by urging that any public discourse regarding the admission of foreign students be anchored strictly in verified facts and statistical data, rather than misleading perceptions.

-NMT