Proposal to set Up committee to monitor foreign students

The Higher Education Ministry and the Home Ministry will set up a committee to monitor social ills among foreign students in the country, the Dewan Rakyat was told Tuesday. Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said this was to keep lid on the problem as many foreigners detained claimed that they were foreign students while checks with institutions of higher learning concerned proved otherwise. He said the committee would comprise representatives from the Higher Education Ministry and Home Ministry's enforcement agencies such as the Immigration Department. "Although foreign student affairs comes under the ambit of the Higher Education Ministry, this committee should be chaired by the Home Ministry as the issue emanated entails immigration violation," he said when winding up debate on the Supply Bill 2012. Saifuddin said the Higher Education Ministry was also studying the possibility of reviving the international student card for foreign students for verification purposes. The sitting continues Wednesday.