THIS year's intake of students to Malaysian universities reached 47,733, the highest level ever and an increase of 40 per cent over last year, according to education minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Of these students, 29,878 have enrolled on degree-level programmes and 18,158 on matriculation, basic science, preparatory and diploma courses.
University Putra Malaysia (UPM) recorded the highest intake with 9,585 new students. It has 6,520 enrolling on first-degree programmes, and 3,015 on matriculation and diploma programmes. University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) has 7,832, and University Teknology Malaysia (UTM) re-cords 7,211 students.
Speaking after the education ministry's weekly post-cabinet meeting, Dr Najib said the figures did not include the intakes of the new privately run institutions, University Telekom, University Tenaga, Universiti Petronas, Institute Tinggi Tun Hussein On and University Perguruan Sultan Idris. He said the figures also did not include those doing distance- learning programmes.
There were 39,868 applications for first-degree programmes, a 35 per cent increase over last year. Of these, 31,696 applications were from arts students and the rest from science students, reflecting the continuing preference for the arts among Malaysian students.
According to Dr Najib the improved school-leaving results of last year meant that many arts students with good results did not get places on the matriculation programme, the main objective of which was to overcome the shortage of Bumiputera (Malay) students in science.
More places were granted to science students, and co-curricula activities were given more consideration than in the past.
Dr Najib said the extra university places would mean a shortage of student hostel accommodation. The problem was being discussed by the education ministry, the economic planning unit, the finance ministry and the universities.