THE recent claim by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir that Malaysian institutions of higher learning are “inclusive and diverse” left me wondering whether he was referring to another country entirely.
Even when controversial figures like US president Donald Trump proposed restricting foreign students from studying at institutions like Harvard, at least such restrictions didn’t extend to local American students.
But in Malaysia, the reality is far grimmer: discrimination in higher education is institutionalised and shamefully accepted as the norm.
Zambry’s assertions about inclusivity are nothing short of hypocritical and misleading. The Malaysian higher education system is deeply racialised, largely skewed in favour of Malay/Bumiputera students under the guise of affirmative action.
Pity on poor non-Malay students
Approximately 81% of admissions to public institutions of higher learning are reserved for Malay/Bumiputra students. This figure alone challenges any notion of pluralism or inclusiveness.
Ethnic restrictions also exist in the allocation of academic disciplines – particularly in high-demand fields with better employment prospects.
Many public universities operate with an overwhelming Malay/Bumiputra student majority with limited space for non-Malay students.
Ironically, non-Malay Malaysians often find it harder to access these institutions than international applicants.
Unlike the US where courts serve as a powerful check against executive overreach, the discrimination is entrenched in both institutional practice and political policy in Malaysia.
The selective application of affirmative action based on race and religion has long excluded non-Malay students – not only from admissions but also from key opportunities within academic institutions.
Poor non-Malay students suffer the most. Unlike their wealthier counterparts who can afford to study abroad or attend private universities, they are left behind, excluded from the public education system that should be serving all Malaysians equally.
What Zambry and by extension, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim seem to be doing, is to engage in a duplicitous game by offering one narrative to impress the international community while maintaining an entirely different, discriminatory reality at home.
Editor’s Note: Zambry’s media statement was issued on May 24 which coincided with the recently concluded ASEAN Summit 2025 hosted by Kuala Lumpur from May 25 to 28.
‘Diversity an illusion’
Despite coming to power on the promise of reforms, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) -led government has done little to dismantle these entrenched systems.
Diversity in the Malaysian higher education is an illusion. From admissions to faculty appointments, from departmental leadership to vice-chancellorships, representation is heavily skewed.
It is no surprise then that more and more Malaysians – especially non-Malays – are seeking education and careers abroad, taking with them the talent and potential so desperately needed at home.
The government knows the problems. The real question is: who will have the courage to address them?
As for Zambry, perhaps the real shame is not in what was said – but in what was deliberately left unsaid. One wonders who wrote his speech, and more importantly, who he thought he was fooling. – May 29, 2025
Former DAP stalwart and Penang chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image credit: Zambry Abd. Kadir/Facebook
