Fees for Malaysian students in public universities are amongst the lowest in the world with the government subsidising at least RM16,000 per student for the duration of their studies.

Higher Education Ministry secretary-general Zaini Ujang said Universiti Malaya and Universiti Sains Malaysia students for example will pay around RM2,000 in tuition fees per year for engineering degree courses and RM1,500 per year for business degree courses.

"With a mean monthly household income at RM6,141 or RM73,692 annually in 2014, it shows that a household in Malaysia would spend only three percent of their annual salary on university tuition fees in public universities," he said in a statement today.

He was responding to the World Economic Forum and a local newspaper report which claimed Malaysia has been ranked the fifth most expensive country to get a university education in relation to household income.

According to the report, which referred to Malaysia's 20 public universities and states, an average household in Malaysia spends about 55 percent of their salary on public university tuition fees.

However, Zaini said the ministry will continue to work with organisations and agencies on benchmarking exercises, including on the effectiveness and efficiency of the higher education system.

"We will also communicate with the World Economic Forum and other rating agencies to provide better insights and more appropriate data, ensuring correct and reliable reports," he added.

According to Zaini, access to and financial sustainability of higher education are top priorities for the ministry to ensure that higher education remains accessible to every qualified Malaysian.

"In addition, the National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) provides generous study loans, with further upside for high performers. In 2013 and 2014, 75 percent of Malaysian students in public universities benefitted from PTPTN loans to cover their fees, as well as living expenses," he said.

Zaini said, Malaysian students also benefit from a wide range of scholarships from foundations and government agencies, as well as eligibility for MyBrain15 scholarships for all post-graduate students.

- Bernama