Any new application by students to enter the university campus would also be temporarily suspended, Utusan Malaysia reported.

Students were told of the decision in a circular dated May 11 issued by the office of UTM’s deputy vice chancellor.

The circular stated that all lectures will be conducted online until the end of the academic year.

The university’s deputy vice chancellor, Shamsul Sahibuddin, had previously said that UTM students would be allowed to return to their hometowns for the Hari Raya break from May 7 to 12.

Public universities had reopened in March, following a decision by the higher education ministry in December, while the country was under conditional movement control order (CMCO) restrictions. The decision remained in force even after a two-week MCO lockdown was ordered in six states in January.