KOTA KINABALU: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has dismissed claims that the growing intake of international students is reducing opportunities for local students, saying official data shows enrolment of Malaysians, including Sabahans, has continued to increase.
Vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Kasim Mansor said allegations that international student admissions were made at the expense of local students were inaccurate and not supported by official statistics.
He said conclusions should not be drawn solely from the university's overall enrolment figures, as they include various categories such as undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, student mobility, online learning and short-term courses, each with different admission mechanisms and objectives.
Official UMS data showed that local student enrolment increased from 18,286 in 2024 to 20,287 in 2025, an increase of 2,001 students or 10.94 per cent.
During the same period, international student enrolment also rose moderately from 712 to 873 students.
"This clearly shows that the increase in international students occurred alongside the rise in local student enrolment, not at the expense of local students," Kasim said in a statement today.
He added that international undergraduate admissions were managed prudently and generally did not exceed about 10 per cent of total enrolment, ensuring local students remained the university's priority.
"As a university rooted in Sabah and Borneo, UMS has a major responsibility to provide greater access to higher education for students from Borneo, including those from rural and interior areas.
"This commitment has never changed and will continue to form the core of the university's academic planning," he said.
Kasim said the presence of international students was part of the Higher Education Ministry's internationalisation agenda, which aims to strengthen academic quality, research, international collaborations and the global reputation of Malaysian universities without compromising opportunities for local students.
He said internationalisation was also an important indicator in global university rankings such as the QS World University Rankings and the Times Higher Education rankings.
"In the era of globalisation, higher education no longer operates within national borders. Universities around the world are competing to attract the best talent, build international research networks and produce graduates who can compete globally.
"UMS has no choice but to strengthen its internationalisation agenda if it wants to remain relevant and continue to be recognised as a trusted education destination by the international community," he said.
Kasim said the main challenge facing public universities was not competition from international students but difficulties in meeting enrolment targets for certain programmes, particularly those in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
He added that the university's internationalisation efforts did not sideline Sabahans or Malaysians.
"Instead, they bring the world to Sabah while generating economic spillover benefits and contributing to the state's development through education tourism," he said.
Kasim gave his assurance that UMS would continue balancing its responsibility as a public university serving Malaysians while strengthening Sabah's position as a regional hub for higher learning.
He urged public discussions on higher education internationalisation to be guided by facts and data rather than perceptions that could mislead the public.
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