Malaysian socialist: ‘When nothing is going right, go left.’

[Editor’s note: Socialist Party of Malaysia activist Amanda Shweeta Louis will be speaking at Ecosocialism 2025, September 5-7, Naarm/Melbourne, Australia. For more information on the conference visit ecosocialism.org.au.]

Isaac Nellist speaks to Amanda Shweeta Louis from the Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) about the commercialisation of Malaysia’s education system, solidarity with Palestine and why young Malaysians are looking to socialist ideas.

Can you tell us about the push to private Malaysia’s education system?

The situation for students in Malaysia is challenging because our system is split into public and private universities, and both have their shortcomings.

The last public university was built in 2007. It is common in capitalist countries for public universities to be limited in number and capacity, making entry extremely competitive.

In the Malaysian context, we have the Bumiputera quota, which dates back to the 1970s. It is designed to favour Malays and indigenous people with affirmative action in public education to elevate their socio economic status.

It was introduced to diffuse inter-ethnic tensions following the 13 May incident — a period of clashes between Malay and Chinese communities in May 1969 — and placate the Malay majority over the Malaysian Chinese and Indian communities. It was intended as a temporary measure but is still in effect.

The government abolished race-based admissions to public universities in 2002, however the quota system remains in matriculation colleges. Some courses have a 90% quota, while others are exclusively for Bumiputeras.

The issue comes when public universities cannot accommodate everyone. It shows the government has stepped back from its responsibility of providing free, accessible education to all. This opens the flood gates to the private sector.

The Private Higher Educational Institutions Act 1996 led to a mushrooming of private universities in Malaysia. Additionally, right-wing race-based political parties have seized the opportunity to establish their own education institutions as a way to maintain their political hegemony.

Over the past decade, the government has been cutting back spending on public education. In the 2010s, higher education received 6–8% of the national budget; now it is closer to 4%. Public universities are being told to do more with less.

Shrinking public investment shows a clear gap between the government’s reformist rhetoric and reality. They are not providing affordable and quality access to higher education, which they promised. This is part of the broader trend of neoliberal restructuring of education, where the cost is shifted from the state to the individual and their family.

The Ministry of Higher Education was created in 2004 in an effort to strengthen the sector, but it has become a tool for politicians to control how universities function. Ministers have the power to appoint their cronies to become vice-chancellors, making it impossible for universities to be independent.

To quote some research by New Mandala: “These lofty promises of the national higher education blueprint are often undermined by stagnant funding and outdated financial models … performance-based funding now rewards short-term metrics like publication counts and graduate employability rather than long-term goals such as academic excellence, critical thinking and socially impactful research.

How does this impact students?

Private education is very expensive. Many young people graduate with debt. In Malaysia we have a student loan system, called the PTPTN, which is a state-sanctioned debt trap.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in May the government is considering reviewing loan rates and the issue of high outstanding debts. Graduates are burdened with repaying debts when earning low salaries and limited job opportunities. The minimum wage is only RM 1700 (A$615) a month.

My mother had to use her retirement funds for my education, after I was not able to access the public university stream. This is the reality for thousands of Malaysians.

Our education system is a brutal engine of neoliberal exploitation because you pay so much for education, you graduate into a terrible job market, carry debt with you and get a job that you do not really like, and are left feeling hopeless.

How are students resisting this neoliberal push?

There are no strong student movements directly challenging the commodification of higher education in Malaysia.

There are a few student groups that are organised, but their focus tends to extend beyond education issues. Some of them engage in struggles for broader democratic rights, such as campaigning for the right to peaceful assemblies.

The PSM has consistently advocated for a fundamental solution — free public education. We see education as a fundamental human right, essential for individual development, meaningful societal contribution and improving socio-economic conditions. Education should not be a commodity.

Achieving this would require a major expansion of public education infrastructure. This means building more public universities, colleges and institutions to increase capacity. A crucial first step would be the government taking over some of the troubled financial institutions. That would make buildings available to allow more students access to education.

Ultimately, free education would significantly decrease the economic burden on young people who face rising cost-of-living pressures.

Malaysia has historically supported Palestine. As Israel’s genocide approaches the two year mark, how has the government responded?

Malaysia has maintained a longstanding vocal diplomatic position in support of Palestine. The current government has intensified this rhetoric, issuing strong condemnation of the displacement and genocide, and calling for decisive international action against Israel and the United States.

These official statements serve important roles in diplomatic channels, but the effectiveness and sincerity of the government is undermined by our involvement in concurrent military engagements.

Malaysia was involved in RIMPAC, or the Rim of the Pacific exercise, the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise. Israel also participated in this. In July we had a military training exercise with the US and Australian imperialist powers through the Keris Strike Exercise, which they claim is needed to “improve regional security.”

In public the government is pro-Palestine but behind closed doors they shake hands with those complicit in the genocide. This puts the country in a position where what we say is not credible. Words of condemnation are important but without real action, such as imposing sanctions or kicking out the US Embassy, words just feel empty.

As long as we continue to operate with these military powers, we are prioritising strategic partnerships over stopping the genocide. It is heartbreaking.

What about the grassroots movement for Palestine?

Gegar Amerika has been quite active in street actions and protests outside the US Embassy. At two protests we had comrades arrested, and at another we had two comrades called in for questioning.

We want a free Palestine, but the police, influenced by the government and the US Embassy, are investigating us.

Are young people in Malaysia looking towards socialist ideas as a solution to critical issues such as climate destruction, cost-of-living and war? Why?

Absolutely it is happening here. Young Malaysians are waking up to the harsh truth: capitalism sucks and is destroying our future. When you graduate with debt, your paycheck is used on rent and the overwhelming climate crisis is worsening, turning left becomes the only viable option.

There is a shift to understanding that the system is rigged because we work so hard for what? For profit to be prioritised while our planet is burning.

Another thing for young people in Malaysia is that we are starved for community, we have lost “third spaces” that are free and open. We are seeing less and less parks. They are instead building shopping complexes, meaning the “third spaces” that are available require you to buy something. Living under capitalism means there is no need for a public space that is not profitable.

Pemuda Sosialis’ numbers are surging. We can be considered a vital force in PSM, making up 20% of the party. What is critical for those who are unsure of what to do when life under capitalism gets too underwhelming, is to use this energy to be organised under socialist principles.

Capitalism thrives by dividing struggles. We have climate activists working separately, workers over there mobilising themselves, students over there doing their own thing, but fighting in isolation is what capitalism wants. It makes the movements easier to crush.

Socialism provides the framework for us to unite all of these struggles. All of these struggles are connected when we are fighting the same system.

When people turn to liberalism, they must understand that it only offers reforms that do not get to the root cause of the issue. Pandering to the right is worse, it is hopeless. The right directs all their rage to migrants and the poor, and continues to protect the elites that actually caused the crisis.

There is a lot of anger and frustration among the youth but this needs proper direction. Without a clear ideology this energy risks being misdirected or co-opted by certain groups.

Socialist principles provide analysis and strategic focus for collective action aimed at fundamental change. That is why PSM’s socialist framework is vital. We connect the dots and unite the struggle into one fight against the core of the capitalist system. That is why ideology matters.

When nothing is going right, go left.