Foreign students pursuing studies at public and private institutions of higher learning in Malaysia contribute RM1.5 billion to the national income last year.

Higher Education Minister Mustapa Mohamed said there were about 50,000 foreign students in the country with each spending about RM30,000 a year, according to a Bernama report..

"However, this calculation is based only on their tuition fees excluding other expenses such as house rent and students studying at the international schools," he said.

The minister told reporters this when hosting 150 foreign students and foreign envoys at his residence in Kuala Lumpur last night.

"Among the new initiatives taken by the government in wooing foreign students to study in Malaysia is to bring foreign dignitaries to visit our country besides inviting Higher Education Ministers from abroad to come to this country," he said.

Mustapa said the problems faced by international students such as delays in the issuance of the visa had now been resolved.