Malaysia: Malaysia's ambition to reshape its higher education landscape under the Malaysian Higher Education Blueprint (RPTM) 2026-2035 may fall short if the country continues to rely on global university rankings that reward indicators misaligned with the blueprint's core priorities, according to academics.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Department of Political Science and Madani Studies lecturer Prof Dr Zainal Abidin Sanusi stated that Malaysia is still evaluated by global ranking systems that incentivize behaviors the RPTM seeks to move away from. The blueprint places humanity and sustainability at the center of higher education reform, yet the current measurement ecosystem does not sufficiently reward these outcomes.
Zainal Abidin emphasized the need for a new ranking and measurement framework that aligns with RPTM's philosophy. He suggested that a home-grown, Malaysia-made ranking and performance framework should be developed to emphasize ethical leadership, equitable access, societal well-being, and sustainability-areas often under-measured by international league tables.
The existing instruments such as Malaysian Higher Education Institutions Integrated Rating (SETARA) and Malaysia Research Assessment (MyRA) could be redesigned or replaced to ensure that humanity and sustainability outcomes are directly linked to funding decisions, leadership accountability, and institutional performance reviews. Zainal Abidin noted that creating a national ranking ecosystem is not a rejection of global standards but an effort to ensure Malaysia measures what it truly values.
Meanwhile, Associate Professor Dr Mohd Mursyid Arshad of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) highlighted the importance of aligning philosophy, curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment to successfully implement the Malaysia Education Blueprint (RPM) 2026-2035. The RPM aims to transition towards a more human-centered education system, focusing on competencies and student well-being.
Mohd Mursyid also commented on the proposal to allow six-year-old children to enter Year One, stressing the need for a developmentally appropriate and non-pressured approach to ensure a positive transition into formal schooling. He also emphasized that the Year Four learning matrix test should serve as a diagnostic tool to support learning rather than to compare students.
Overall, Mohd Mursyid stated that the success of the RPM 2026-2035 depends on the system's ability to position student well-being, the role of teachers, and parental involvement as key pillars of implementation.
The RPTM and RPM serve as the main guiding documents for national higher education development over the next decade under the National Education Blueprint (RPN) 2026-2035, launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The integrated implementation of the RPTM and RPM under the RPN reflects the coherence of national education policy, ensuring continuity of human capital development from school through higher education.