88 Mukherjee, Singh, Fernandez-Chung and Marimuthu
Higher Education Provision
The phenomenal increase in the access to higher education bears out
Malaysia’s aim to increase its higher education participation rate from
approximately 40 per cent to 50 per cent by 2020 (Tapsir 2012) and is
matched by the increase in higher education providers. Currently Malaysia
has 20 public universities, 30 polytechnics, and 80 community colleges. In
the private sector, there are 75 private universities and university colleges,
9 branch campuses of international universities and 460 colleges (MOE
2013). Collectively, the diversified structure providing degree, diploma
and certificate programmes has contributed immensely to student access
and expansion in enrolment as shown in Table 4.1.
Tertiary education enrolment, as a whole, increased by 17.6 per cent
between 2008 and 2012. The largest increase was in the public universities
with an increase of 24.4 per cent, followed by universities in the private
sector (14.2 per cent), the polytechnics (8.1 per cent) and the community
colleges (3.1 per cent). The percentage of population aged 19–24 enrolled
in tertiary education between 1970 and 2012 increased significantly. With a
mere 0.6 per cent enrolled in 1970, the enrolment ratio increased to 2.9 per
cent in 1990 and 8.1 per cent in 2000. Thereafter the increase in enrolment
of the age group 19–24 has been remarkable, moving up to 24.4 per cent
in 2007 and to 37.8 per cent in 2012, a figure very close to the 40 per cent
government target (World Bank 2011; Department of Statistics 2012).
Against the trend of increasing enrolment is Kolej Tunku Abdul Rahman
(KTAR) where enrolments have fallen by 9.8 per cent over the same period.
TABLE 4.1
Enrolment in Tertiary Education, 2008–12Year Public Private Polytechnic Community KTAR* Total
2008 419,334 399,897 85,280 17,082 26,235 947,828
2009 437,420 484,377 86,471 17,279 25,179 1,050,726
2010 462,780 541,629 87,642 18,200 23,774 1,134,025
2011 508,256 428,973 89,292 6,394 23,632 1,056.547
2012 521,793 456,616 92,148 22,380 23,652 1,114,589
% increase 24.4 14.2 8.1 3.1 –9.8 17.6
Note: *KTAR — Kolej Tunku Abdul Rahman is a Chinese community institution which has some
government support.
Source: MOHE, various years.