Nearly half of Malaysians say landlords can choose tenants by race: Survey
Published on: Thu, Jul 17, 2025 Text Size: For illustrative purposes only. - AI-generated image KUALA LUMPUR: Nearly half of Malaysians believe landlords should have the right to choose tenants based on race, according to a recent survey by YouGov involving 1,104 respondents, Says reported. The findings were shared by Architects of Diversity (AOD) Malaysia, who said such racial discrimination in the rental market remains a familiar experience for many.
Advertisement While 50.3 per cent of respondents supported the creation of a government tribunal to resolve rental disputes, only 31.6 per cent felt it should be illegal to select tenants based on race. Younger Malaysians were more open to inclusive policies, with 39 per cent of those aged 18 to 24 supporting a ban on race-based selection, compared to 59.6 per cent opposition among those aged 45 to 54. By ethnicity, Indian Malaysians expressed the strongest opposition to race-based tenancy at 63.8 per cent, while only 25.7 per cent of Malays and 28.8 per cent of Chinese respondents agreed. A separate report released by AOD Malaysia and Social Democracy Malaysia recommended clear legal protections against racial discrimination in tenancy practices, including fines of up to RM5,000. At the report launch, AOD executive director Jason Wee urged the government to pass the long-awaited Residential Tenancy Act, stressing that young and minority renters are among the most affected. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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