Evolution of English medium instruction (EMI) in non-native English-speaking countries in recent years has inspired researchers to investigate the various dimensions of this phenomenon. Internationalising higher education, realising the local needs of English-speaking graduates, and eliciting the economic and social benefits of English are often reported as the major factors behind the adoption and implementation of EMI. However, these goals and demands of EMI are perceived and realised to varying extents in diverse higher education contexts. This article reports on a small-scale study conducted in Malaysia and Bangladesh exploring the beliefs and attitudes of university lecturers to EMI. Based on the data extracted from interviews, this study highlights the needs and aspirations of EMI in Malaysia and Bangladesh and identifies several common issues that influenced the adoption of EMI in both countries. However, Malaysia's desire to become a hub of higher education in the region and to encourage the recruitment of international students has been reported by the lecturers in Malaysia as the most prominent reason for their adoption of EMI. Such EMI-related policies in Malaysia have shaped positively the beliefs and attitudes of lecturers towards its adoption and implementation. Furthermore, these policies also supported the lecturers to develop a considerate attitude to students' challenges with regard to EMI.