In Malaysia the language of instruction often is English in subjects pertaining to engineering and science.
Malaysia is politically stable and economically successful. It is a country that is divided by hundreds of miles of the South China Sea and encompasses rainforests, rugged islands, stunning beaches, and skyscrapers. Its territories were once ruled by the British, and briefly by the Japanese, before they gained independence in the mid-1900s. Its majority Muslim population is defined more, perhaps, by its ethnic and religious diversity, something reflected in its cuisine, which has Malay, Chinese, Indian, and Borneo influences. This diversity sometimes is a source of conflict, and the government has been criticized for its human-rights record. In recent years, the economy has diversified from raw materials to manufacturing and tourism.
Located near the equator, Malaysia's climate is categorised as equatorial, being hot and humid throughout the year. Annual rainfall exceeds 2000mm a year and the average temperature is 27 °C (80.6 °F). Malaysia faces two monsoon winds seasons – the Southwest Monsoon from late May to September, and the Northeast Monsoon from November to March. The Northeast Monsoon brings in more rainfall compared to the Southwest Monsoon.
The highest temperature was recorded at Chuping, Perlis on 9 April 1998 at 40.1 °C (104.2 °F). The lowest temperature was recorded at Cameron Highlands on 1 February 1978 at 7.8 °C (46.0 °F). The highest rainfall recorded in a day was 608 mm (23.9 in) in Kota Bharu, Kelantan on 6 January 1967. The highest rainfall recorded in a year was 5,687 mm (223.9 in) at Sandakan, Sabah in 2006. Meanwhile, the lowest rainfall recorded in a year was 1,151 mm (45.3 in) at Tawau, Sabah in 1997.
The wettest place in Malaysia is Kuching, Sarawak with an average rainfall of 4,128 mm (162.5 in) with 247 days of rain a year. The driest place in Malaysia is in Chuping, Perlis with average rainfall of only 1,746 mm (68.7 in) a year.
Overview of Higher Education
The system of higher education in Malaysia comprises about 20 public universities and nearly twice as many private universities.
The basic undergraduate degree is the bachelor’s, which requires three or four years of study (except for subjects like medicine and dentistry, which require five years). A master’s degree requires an additional one to two years of study, and a doctorate requires at least two years of study beyond a master’s.
Since the early 1990s, foreign universities have been permitted to establish branch campuses in Malaysia. Generally the language of instruction is English in subjects pertaining to engineering and science.
(Sources: BBC, The Europa World of Learning, Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education)
Number of Colleges, Universities, Technical Institutes
Number of Colleges, Universities, and Technical Institutes (total): 61
Number of Higher Education Students
Number of students enrolled: 749,000
Number of international students enrolled: 40,029
Ministry of Education Malaysia
Block E8, Complex E, Federal Government Administrative Centre
62604, Putrajaya, Malaysia
Web site: http://www.moe.gov.my/
Phone: 603-8884 6000
Contact: Hishamuddin Tun Hussein, Minister of Education