Indian Malaysian youths struggle with deep-rooted discrimination, report finds

Résumé détaillé

Indian youths in Malaysia are feeling increasingly marginalised, facing systemic discrimination in education, employment, and housing that leaves ...

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 — Indian youths in Malaysia are feeling increasingly marginalised, facing systemic discrimination in education, employment, and housing that leaves many feeling politically alienated, according to a new report by think tank Iman Research.

The report, titled Kami Orang Sini Juga — Indian Youth Report, launched today, highlights that this demographic is an “under-mobilised constituency” whose concerns have long been overlooked by policymakers and the political establishment.

Based on in-depth interviews with 111 Indian youths nationwide, the study paints a stark picture of the hurdles these young Malaysians face from an early age, ranging from racial hostility in schools to precariousness in the housing and labour markets.

Iman Research researcher Shaleen Surendra highlighted that the findings serve as a critical wake-up call for those in power to address the growing disillusionment within the community.

“Indian youths are an under-mobilised constituency whose concerns have been ignored for too long. Through in-depth interviews, they described the discrimination faced, experiences of precarity towards their belonging, and being politically sidelined,” Shaleen said while presenting the findings.

“The report unpacks the repercussions of leaving these issues unaddressed, namely political alienation and distrust, which will shape the next election and the political landscape of the country,” she added.

Many Indian youths reported experiencing verbal and, in rarer cases, physical abuse from peers and teachers as early as their schooling years.

While Tamil primary schools were noted to offer a “temporary safety” net, they do not resolve the institutional structures that alienate these students.

The report identifies that the matriculation system disproportionately affects youths from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, hindering their access to further education.

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