Local public institutions of higher learning (IPTAs) will be given sufficient time to introduce the new conditions for the Malaysian University English Test (MUET) next year.

Deputy Education Minister, P. Kamalanathan said the ministry would give the IPTAs sufficient time to make full preparations to implement the new requirements.

"We will give the IPTAs sufficient opportunity and time to implement the decision (new condition for MUET requirements).

"The IPTAs should not see the upgrading of the MUET grades as a burden," he told Bernama after attending the graduation ceremony of Form Five students of the SMK Damansara Utama here today.

He was commenting on worries voiced by Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohamed Mustafa Ishak that the new requirements would result in a shortage of students to fill the places in several areas of study offered by local universities.

Kamalanathan said the IPTAs should not worry about the new MUET requirements because the ministry would continue to work hard to help students equip themselves with a command of English before enrolling into the universities.

"We will not leave them on their own and the ministry will do whatever is needed to help them improve their English, even at the school level.

"This is the ministry's responsibility. We will work with the IPTAs and secondary schools on ways to improve the standard of English among schoolchildren," he said.

Last Friday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, when tabling Budget 2015, announced that beginning next year, the new minimum entry requirement for IPTAs, previously at Band 1, was now Band 2 for arts and social science studies (graduation requirement of Band 3); science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem) was Band 3 (graduation condition Band 4), while Band 4 was fixed for law and medical studies (graduation condition Band 5).