MALAYSIA MUST BUILD ITS OWN RANKING SYSTEM TO REALISE RPTM 2026-2035 VISION - EXPERTS

By Samantha Tan Chiew Tieng

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 27 (Bernama) -- 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.

International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Department of Political Science and Madani Studies lecturer Prof Dr Zainal Abidin Sanusi said Malaysia is still evaluated by global ranking systems that incentivise behaviours the RPTM seeks to move away from.

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“RPTM 2026-2035 places humanity and sustainability at the centre of higher education reform. The problem is simple - Malaysia's current measurement ecosystem does not reward these outcomes strongly enough.

“When universities are primarily judged by legacy indicators such as rankings, publication volume, citations and narrow employability metrics, the humanity-centric and sustainability-driven reforms will remain 'nice to have' rather than 'must deliver,” he told Bernama.

Zainal Abidin hence said that a new ranking and measurement framework aligned with RPTM's philosophy is urgently needed.

"Relying on external global rankings will not work, as most of them do not measure what RPTM is trying to produce, which are ethical leadership, public value, community impact, equity, well-being and genuine sustainability performance. If the system keeps chasing indicators outside the RPTM agenda, institutions will inevitably return to what is scored, not what is promised,” he said.

Zainal Abidin proposed the development of a home-grown, Malaysia-made ranking and performance framework that places stronger emphasis on ethical leadership, equitable access, societal well-being and sustainability - areas that are generally under-measured by international league tables.

He added that existing instruments such as Malaysian Higher Education Institutions Integrated Rating (SETARA) and Malaysia Research Assessment (MyRA) could be redesigned, or replaced altogether, to ensure humanity and sustainability outcomes are tied directly to funding decisions, leadership accountability and institutional performance reviews.

Creating a national ranking ecosystem, he said, is not a rejection of global standards but an effort to ensure Malaysia measures what it truly values. 

“Without such a shift, the RPTM agenda may remain aspirational on paper, overshadowed by global metrics that reward very different priorities,” he added.

Meanwhile, Associate Professor Dr Mohd Mursyid Arshad of the Department of Professional Development and Continuing Education, Faculty of Educational Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), said the successful implementation of the Malaysia Education Blueprint (RPM) 2026-2035 hinges on clear alignment between philosophy, curriculum, pedagogy and assessment.

“The RPM marks an important transition towards an education system that is more human-centred, with a stronger focus on competencies and student well-being. In an increasingly complex global landscape, education must produce a generation that is not only knowledgeable, but also resilient, confident and able to navigate life meaningfully,” he said.

“However, without consistent alignment between educational philosophy, curriculum, pedagogy and assessment, the aspiration of empowerment under the RPM may not be fully realised at the implementation level,” he said.

Commenting on the proposal to allow six-year-old children to enter Year One, Mohd Mursyid stressed that a developmentally appropriate and non-pressured approach is crucial to ensure a positive early transition into formal schooling.

“Early schooling experiences shape long-term attitudes towards learning and self-confidence. The main concern among parents is the risk of academic pressure being introduced too early; therefore, the implementation mechanism must be clearly explained to them,” he said.

Regarding the implementation of the Year Four learning matrix test, Mohd Mursyid said it can serve as a meaningful diagnostic tool if it is used to support learning rather than to compare students.

“The test is only effective when accompanied by meaningful intervention and a clear understanding among teachers of its purpose and implementation. Clear communication with parents is also important to ensure that it does not become a source of additional stress for students and families,” he said.

He also stressed that the assessment of learning at the Form Three level should be holistic and aligned with adolescent development, as students at this stage are exploring their identity, interests and direction in life.

Overall, Mohd Mursyid said 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 the development of national higher education over the next 10 years under the National Education Blueprint (RPN) 2026-2035, which was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Jan 20.

The RPTM, led by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), is a dynamic (living) document designed to remain flexible and responsive to changes in the global landscape and technological advancements, while the RPM, led by the Ministry of Education (MOE), serves as the primary reference for the country’s educational development.

The integrated implementation of the RPTM and RPM under the RPN reflects the coherence of national education policy, which is comprehensive and phased to ensure the continuity of human capital development from the school level through to higher education.

-- BERNAMA