KUALA LUMPUR (March 13): Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir will present a Cabinet memorandum to facilitate the introduction of law programmes as a new faculty in Sabah and Sarawak.

He said this initiative is among the steps taken by the Higher Education Ministry (MOHE) to reassess the existing moratorium, given the shortage of lawyers in both states.

“To expedite this matter, several universities are expanding their programmes through collaborations with institutions in Sabah and Sarawak.

“For instance, in Sarawak, University of Malaya (UM) has partnered with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak [UNIMAS] to offer a law programme, and we expect this matter to be addressed promptly,” he said winding up the debate on the royal address in the Dewan Negara for the ministry on Thursday. 

He said as of the third quarter of 2023, seven public universities offered undergraduate law degrees, while 19 private higher education institutions provided equivalent programmes.

Zambry said the universities selected to offer the programmes will be determined once the moratorium is lifted to meet Sabah and Sarawak’s legal education needs.

“This includes public universities such as Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak [UNIMAS], which we will consider based on the required intake, in discussions with the respective institutions.

“The main obstacle now is the moratorium imposed by the government. I was informed that it has been in place since 2007, and it is time for us to resolve this matter. The approach to implementation will be left to the universities.

“In terms of student admissions, whether full-time or part-time for working individuals, our approach is now more flexible, allowing universities to determine the best strategies to encourage enrolment in law programmes,” he added.

Meanwhile, he said the ministry will review proposals for establishing new higher education institutions to ensure they meet current demands.

He said factors such as the availability of experts, national capacity and financial constraints, as well as the types of programmes to be offered, must be carefully considered.

“We acknowledge the need for new educational institutions, whether polytechnics or universities. Some have requested polytechnics, while others have asked for community colleges in their respective areas.

“At the same time, I urge understanding of the existing limitations. Some institutions were established but unfortunately failed to attract a sufficient number of students to enrol in the area,” he said.

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