The establishment of a new entity which merges the National Accreditation Board (LAN) and the Quality Assurance Division, Ministry of Higher Education (QAD) was approved by the Government on 21 December 2005. This entity is responsible for quality assurance of higher education for both the public and the private sectors.

The new entity, the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), was established on 1 November 2007 with the coming in force of the Malaysian Qualifications Agency Act 2007. The MQA was officially launched by the Honourable Minister of Higher Education, Dato' Mustapa Mohamed, on 2 November 2007.

The main role of the MQA is to implement the Malaysian Qualifications Framework (MQF) as a basis for quality assurance of higher education and as the reference point for the criteria and standards for national qualifications. The MQA is responsible for monitoring and overseeing the quality assurance practices and accreditation of national higher education.

The establishment of the MQA saw LAN dissolved and its personnel absorbed into the MQA.

With the vision to be a global authority on quality assurance of higher education and the mission to put in place a system of quality assurance that is recognised internationally, the MQA is set to chart new boundaries in higher education quality assurance.

SQM PIC: Encik Rhafizuan Rusli