Higher Education Minister Idris Jusoh today advised university students against participating in student rallies, saying they should focus on their studies to obtain their degrees.

He said joining rallies went contrary to the main purpose of their being in tertiary institutions, which was to become part of the nation's human capital.

"If they are so obsessed with going to the streets (to demonstrate), then they will forget their studies.

"In one of the rallies last time (in 2014), students pushed through the main gate of Universiti Malaya. That is not a good example of how students should behave," he said at a press conference after officiating at the fourth World Engineering, Science and Technology Congress (ESTCON2016) in Kuala Lumpur.

Idris said public funds were used to finance the tertiary education of these students so that they could have a proper education and a better future.

"The government spends an average of RM18,000 a year on each public university student in the country. They are only required to pay RM2,000 a year. There's a gap of RM16,000 of public funds, so they should stay focused," he said.

ESTCON2016, a three-day congress starting today, serves as a platform for people from the industry, academia, government and the public to take part in the discussion of ideas and learn about the latest inventions and research in the industry.

Earlier, in his speech, Idris said the fields of engineering, science and technology would play an important role in the future of education as Malaysia had evolved from a production-based to a knowledge-based economy.

He said the move was crucial in order to stay relevant and compete in the global market.

"One of the areas that we need to always look at is the field of engineering, science and technology as the increase in global education needs and the rise of technologies represent significant opportunities for education in Malaysia to grow and compete," he said.

- Bernama