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A recent survey conducted found that 49.9% of Malaysians believe landlords should be allowed to choose tenants based on race
In a press release issued today, 16 July, the Architects of Diversity (AOD) Malaysia said racial discrimination in the rental market is a familiar issue for many.
It said the survey was carried out to gauge public sentiment on residential tenancy policies and highlight differing views across various communities.
Conducted by YouGov on 3 July, 1,104 Malaysian respondents participated in the survey. Data on their age, race, income, education level, and residential area was collected and analysed across each survey question.
In the first question, 50.3% of respondents supported the establishment of a government-run tribunal to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants, while only 10.3% opposed the idea.
However, when asked whether it should be illegal for landlords to select tenants based on race, only 31.6% agreed. In contrast, 49.9% supported the practice, and 18.4% were undecided.
A deeper look into the data revealed that 39% of respondents aged 18 to 24 believed race-based tenancy should be outlawed, while 59.6% of those aged 45 to 54 disagreed, indicating that younger Malaysians tend to support more inclusive rental practices.
By ethnicity, Indian Malaysians showed the highest level of opposition to race-based tenancy at 63.8%, compared to just 25.7% of Malays and 28.8% of Chinese respondents.
In a separate report jointly released by AOD Malaysia and Social Democracy Malaysia, several recommendations were put forward to address racial discrimination in the rental housing market
The report proposed that the government ensure equal treatment for both prospective and existing tenants, with clear prohibitions against discrimination based on race or ethnicity.
It called for landlords and property agents to assess tenants impartially — focusing on suitability and qualifications rather than race — and suggested imposing fines of up to RM5,000 on those who breach these guidelines.
The report also urged lawmakers to ban discriminatory practices such as refusing to rent, negotiate, or engage in rental transactions based on race or ethnicity.
It further recommended prohibiting racial preferences in rental advertisements and preventing landlords from increasing rents or imposing extra charges based on racial factors.
"These actions not only harm individuals but also perpetuate a culture of prejudice and inequality within the broader rental sector.
"The introduction of a specific legal provision that explicitly identifies and prohibits these discriminatory acts, coupled with the imposition of fines, is essential to deter such behaviour," read the report.
Speaking at the launch of the report yesterday, 15 July, AOD Malaysia called on the government to pass the long-delayed Residential Tenancy Act.
Its executive director, Jason Wee, said that failing to enact the legislation, or doing so without addressing racial discrimination, would be a missed opportunity to better protect marginalised groups, particularly Indian Malaysians.
He also noted that young Malaysians, especially those from minority communities, are disproportionately affected by rental discrimination, as many rely on affordable housing while working or studying in urban areas.
From left to right: AOD Malaysia executive director Jason Wee, independent researcher Fikri Fisal, Bukit Gasing assemblyperson and SOCDEM Malaysia co-founder Rajiv Rishyakaran, and MBPJ councillor and SOCDEM Malaysia co-founder Kusaaliny Mahendran.
Image via @aodmalaysia (Instagram)You can read the full report here and the survey results here.
