Drop ‘absurd’ Bumiputera equity rule for tuition centres, govt urged

Magpie president Mak Chee Kin questioned whether the equity rule could be slowly extended to other sectors, while independent scholar Sharifah Munirah Alatas said it risks racialising the education sector.

PETALING JAYA: A parents' group and an academic have criticised the 30% Bumiputera equity condition for tuition centres, calling for the education ministry to drop this requirement for licence renewals in 2027.

The Melaka Action Group for Parents in Education (Magpie) and independent scholar Sharifah Munirah Alatas said the move was unfair to operators who have built their business over years, and fails to actually encourage Bumiputera entrepreneurship.

Sharifah said this policy is absurd and risks racialising the education sector, adding that it only exemplifies how distracted the education ministry is from more pertinent issues.