Mara To Send Medical Students To Middle East From Next Year

PASIR MAS, Nov 23 (Bernama) -- Medical students sponsored by Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) will be sent to leading universities in Jordan and Egypt from next year, its chairman Brig Gen (Rtd) Datuk Seri Abdul Hamid Zainal Abidin said.
He said for a start 100 students would be chosen to pursue medical courses at University Al-Azhar in Cairo and University Alexander di Jordan.
"It is much cheaper to send them to the Middle East than Europe besides the students not having to worry about high living costs or halal matters," he told reporters after opening a seminar for entrepreneurs organised by Mara at Sekolah Kebangsaan Mekasar, here Wednesday.
However, he said this did not mean that previous universities would not be considered but the Middle East would be given priority for Muslim students.
According to him, Mara had researched the quality of the universities concerned and had found them to be at par with that of other countries.
"Our neighbour, Indonesia for example, has been sending its medical students to these places and some have of them have become famous medical specialists," he said.
He also assured that qualifications from these universities were recognised by the government.