Proportion of Malay Graduates across Different Age Groups and Efforts to Increase Malay Graduate Numbers

Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the current proportion of university graduates among Malays who are aged (i) 25 years and over and (ii) 25 to 34 years; (b) how do these figures compare with figures for the Chinese and Indian communities; (c) whether the Ministry can provide data on university graduation rates by ethnicity across cohorts in each of the last five years; and (d) what more can be done to increase the number of Malays graduating from universities.

According to the Census of Population 2020, around 11% of the resident Malay population aged 25 years and over had a university degree. This compares to 35% of the resident Chinese population and 41% of the resident Indian population. For those aged between 25 and 34 years, the proportions were 20% for Malays, 66% for Chinese and 50% for Indians.

The Ministry of Education does not actively track university graduation, that is, completion rates by ethnicity. Our approach is to ensure that all students, regardless of ethnicity, receive the appropriate support so that they can maximise their potential throughout their education journey. Accordingly, our autonomous universities admit students based on merit and have various academic and student support initiatives to help their students complete their courses.