Education: the secret of China’s rise, Malaysia’s missed opportunity

From Kua Kia Soong

When people discuss China’s spectacular rise over the past four decades, they often focus on its manufacturing prowess, technological innovation, vast infrastructure projects, or global economic influence.

But behind all these achievements lies a less visible yet more fundamental factor: education.

China’s transformation from a largely agrarian society in the late 1970s into the world’s second-largest economy did not happen by accident. It was built upon a national commitment to education, scientific advancement, and meritocracy.

While other countries debated ideology and identity politics, China invested relentlessly in developing human capital. Today, China graduates more than four million STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) students annually.

Its universities dominate global rankings in engineering, artificial intelligence, computer science, and applied sciences. Chinese students consistently perform among the best in international assessments of mathematics and science.

The country’s technological giants did not emerge from political slogans or racial prejudice but from decades of investment in education and research. China understood a simple truth: in the modern world, national strength depends less on natural resources than on human talent.

Malaysia, unfortunately, has yet to fully embrace this lesson.

A nation still divided by educational politics

Since independence, education has often been treated not as a national development strategy but as an arena for political contestation.

Policies affecting schools, universities, and admissions are frequently viewed through racial and political lenses rather than educational and economic ones.

Few issues illustrate this better than the long-running controversy surrounding admissions into tertiary institutions and the dogged refusal to recognise the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) even though it is recognised by Beijing University, Tsinghua University, and the National University of Singapore, to name a few.

For decades, Malaysians debated the fairness of university admissions, scholarships, and educational opportunities. Outstanding students keep finding themselves denied places in public universities despite excellent academic results. Such controversies surface almost every year, generating frustration among students and parents.

The issue is not merely one of fairness. It is also a question of national competitiveness.

When talented students are denied opportunities based on factors unrelated to merit, the country effectively wastes valuable human resources. Many leave to pursue their studies overseas, contributing to the brain drain that has long plagued Malaysia.

Countries that aspire to become knowledge economies cannot afford to squander talent. China, South Korea, Singapore, and other successful East Asian economies have recognised that educational excellence must be nurtured wherever it is found.

National development demands the mobilisation of all available talent, regardless of ethnicity, religion or social background. Malaysia has yet to fully adopt this principle.

UEC and a self-inflicted wound

Nowhere is this failure more evident than in the government’s refusal to recognise the UEC for admission into public universities.

The UEC has existed for half a century, with graduates admitted into leading universities around the world, including the UK, Australia, New Zealand, US, Singapore, and China. Many have gone on to excel in engineering, medicine, information technology, finance, and scientific research.

Yet successive Malaysian governments continue to politicise the issue. The argument against recognition is often framed in terms of national integration.

However, there is little evidence that refusing to recognise the UEC has strengthened national unity. Instead, it has encouraged many talented Malaysians to study abroad, often never returning.

This policy is especially difficult to justify at a time when Malaysia repeatedly complains of shortages in STEM-related talent. The irony is glaring. On one hand, policymakers lament the shortage of engineers, data scientists, software developers, researchers, and technical professionals.

On the other hand, they continue to erect barriers that prevent a significant pool of academically capable students from entering public institutions. The result is a self-inflicted wound.

At a time when countries around the world are competing fiercely for talent, Malaysia is effectively pushing some of its brightest young minds elsewhere.

Learning from China’s educational success

China’s educational model is not without flaws. The intense competition and examination pressures faced by students are well known. Nevertheless, several important lessons can be drawn from its success.

First, China places enormous emphasis on mathematics, science and technical education.

Second, educational planning is closely linked to national development goals. Universities are expected to produce the engineers, scientists, and innovators required by the economy.

Third, the system rewards academic achievement. While inequalities remain, educational advancement is fundamentally tied to performance and capability.

Most importantly, China treats talent as a strategic national resource.

Education reform must be about merit

If Malaysia is serious about becoming a high-income, innovation-driven economy, several reforms are urgently needed:

• University admissions should progressively move towards merit-based principles while ensuring support for disadvantaged students from all communities through needs-based assistance.
• The UEC should be recognised for admission into public universities, subject to reasonable national requirements such as proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia.
• Greater emphasis should be placed on STEM education, critical thinking, digital literacy, and scientific research.
• Most importantly, educational policy should be guided by national interests, not political expediency.

The purpose of education is not to advance partisan agendas. It is to develop the fullest potential of every citizen and to provide the nation with the skilled workforce necessary for economic progress.

The 21st century will belong to nations that can harness knowledge, innovation, and human talent. China’s rise demonstrates what is possible when a country makes education a central pillar of national development.

Its success was not predetermined. It was built through deliberate investment in schools, universities, research institutions, and human capital.

Malaysia faces a choice. We can continue allowing educational policies to be shaped by racial politics and outdated controversies, or we can adopt a more inclusive, meritocratic, and forward-looking approach that recognises talent wherever it is found.

The refusal to recognise the UEC, the recurring disputes over university admissions, and the persistent failure to maximise the country’s human capital are not merely educational issues. They are obstacles to national development.

A country that wastes talent cannot hope to compete with countries that cultivate it.

If Malaysia truly wishes to become an advanced nation, it must first become a nation that values education above politics, merit above prejudice, and excellence above expediency.

The lesson from China’s rise is clear: the most valuable resource any country possesses is not oil, land or capital. It is the minds of its people.

Kua Kia Soong is a former MP and the principal of New Era College.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.