Malaysia will set up education bureaus in China, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Middle East and South Africa as it competes with neighbouring Singapore to woo foreign students, reports said today.

Some 32,000 foreign students are enrolled in Malaysian schools, a number the government seeks to increase to 50,000 to make the country a regional education hub, Education Minister Musa Mohamad was quoted as saying by The Star .

Musa said Malaysia's foreign student population has risen sharply to 32,000 from just 20,000 about nearly two years ago, while noting growing competition from neighbouring countries such as Singapore and Thailand.

Students from China

"Singapore is a country that we have to especially be cautious about. It is gaining ground," he said.

The education offices are expected to assume roles similar to that of the British Council in promoting education in overseas offices, the newspaper said.

Among the new posts will be an office in Dubai to tap the Middle East market and in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam to attract students from the Indochina region, officials said.

Students from China now top the list of foreign students in Malaysia accounting for about 10,000, followed by 6,000 from Indonesia. AFP