Malaysia dismisses claim of 10,000 Bangladeshi students getting ‘graduate pass’

Malaysian Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir has rejected as false and baseless a claim that 10,000 Bangladeshi students in Malaysia would be granted a “graduate pass” to allow them to work in the country.

He clarified that during the recent visit of Bangladesh’s interim government Chief Adviser Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus, no agreement was signed that would commit Malaysia to provide such work opportunities for Bangladeshi students, reports Malaysian newspaper the Star.

Zambry also urged Kedah’s industry and investment, higher education, science, technology and innovation committee chairman Dr Haim Hilman Abdullah to exercise greater caution before making public remarks especially on matters concerning higher education.

"Based solely on a newspaper report in Bangladesh, he has made the allegation that I have agreed to consider providing ‘graduate passes’ to 10,000 Bangladeshi students in Malaysia to enable them to work here. The allegation is completely untrue and inaccurate,” he said in a statement on Saturday.

He further described Haim Hilman’s claim that Malaysians were worried because the government had supposedly agreed to the arrangement as highly irresponsible.

"As someone with an academic background, he should have made statements based on true, accurate and authentic facts, not speculation or spreading information carelessly. Academic principles demand information that has integrity, accuracy and truth,” he added.

Zambry warned that Haim Hilman should not create misleading perceptions by sharing inaccurate details.

"The culture of producing 'content' to be made viral on social media with incorrect facts must be stopped immediately," he added.

Earlier, Haim Hilman had posted a two-minute and 19-second video on TikTok claiming that 10,000 Bangladeshi students would be given employment opportunities in Malaysia.