Contestation, in access to higher education has become inevitable as there is an increasing demand for limited places. The market–driven process of globalisation has accentuated these contestations in developing societies such as Malaysia where earlier strategies adopted were intended to include the hitherto historically excluded ethnic and racial groups, while new strategies aim to meet the requirements of an emerging labour market, industry and the global system of higher education. In this context, the paper discusses the impact of market–driven neoliberal reforms and the ethnicity based affirmative action policies on Malaysian higher education and society.
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