30 pct of uni students to return to campus on March 1

Deputy Director-General, Higher Education Department Prof Dr Mohd Cairul Iqbal Mohd Amin said the students would return in phases to undergo teaching and learning sessions (PdP) on a hybrid basis, namely face-to-face and online, adding that the IPTs have the right to reduce the number of students allowed on campus according to the current situation and risk assessment.

"For instance, a university is allowed to bring in 5,000 students but if the COVID-19 cases are high (on March 1) the number of students allowed to return to the campus will be reduced to only 100 or 50 students," he said during an interview on Buletin Bernama today.

Yesterday, MOHE said the National Security Council (MKN) had agreed to allow six categories of IPT students to return to their respective campuses beginning March 1 for a hybrid PdP including certificate, diploma, bachelor's degree, and postgraduate students who need to conduct clinical work and practical requiring laboratories, workshops, design studios, and special equipment.

Also allowed are students who do not have access to the online facility or those without a conducive environment to undergo online PdP; existing and new international students except those from the United Kingdom; disabled students, and students taking the Malaysia University English Test and international as well as professional examinations and pre universities and diploma students who have been staying on campus.

Mohd Cairul Iqbal said the respective IPTs would issue a letter to those students allowed to return for them to obtain an inter-state or inter-district travel permit from the police.

He advised IPT students to follow the latest developments regarding the matter on all MOHE social media platforms.