Parliament president Wan Muhamad Noor Matha promised to help address the concerns of Thai students in Indonesia over complaints they cannot apply for a job in the public sector with the degrees they have earned there.
He was speaking after a meeting with a group of Thai students in Indonesia's capital Jakarta, where he led a delegation of parliamentarians to attend the 44th Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) on Friday.
Mr Wan said the students urged parliament and the government to help resolve issues concerning their education degrees earned from abroad.
Some courses or fields of study are not recognised by the education ministry, and they are required to seek a certificate equivalent to a degree or study more if they want to apply for a job in the public sector, said Mr Wan.
He said the students' concerns would be brought to the attention of the House of Representatives so they would be properly addressed, but he also advised the students to submit the issue to the House.
"An issue like this has been handled before," he said. "There is a case of a medical graduate from abroad whose degree wasn't recognised. He is currently required to work at a designated hospital for one or two years, take the required exams, and get a licence."
Mr Wan said more than 1,000 Thai students are studying in Indonesia, but only 10 are enrolled at universities in Jakarta, while the others are studying in cities where living costs are lower.
Nura-ayanee Samoh, who studies at Muhammadiyah in Jakarta, said she hoped all Thai graduates from overseas, regardless of their field of study, could apply for jobs in the public sector without having to get a certificate equivalent to a degree or study more.
Sulfar Mani, who studies at UIN Jakarta, said he asked Mr Wan to see what he could do to help students deal with the high cost of living and to coordinate with them on visa renewals.