CYBERJAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A pass in English will be made a compulsory at public universities in Malaysia so that graduates can communicate effectively, said the country's Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said on Tuesday a graduate's employability "is all about the confidence to communicate in English".

"Multi-national companies don't just want qualified (graduates) but they want ambassadors who have the ability to communicate," said Mr Muhyiddin.

"We would like universities to ensure that every student undergo training in English and they not only pass (the subject) but are able to communicate effectively as well," he said at the launch of the Cyberjaya Graduate Employability Enabler 2 programme here.

He said the new policy was made after a discussion with Prime Minister Najib Razak last week and details would be announced later.