KUALA LUMPUR: The proposal to require tuition centres to comply with equity rules, including mandatory Bumiputera ownership, warrants careful consideration and timely action, says social activist Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye (pic).
Lee said most tuition centres were small, neighbourhood-based businesses run by educators rather than large, profit-driven corporations.
"Many operate on modest budgets, founded by people who want to help students keep pace with schoolwork, build confidence and reach their potential," he said in a statement on Sunday (Sept 20).
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He said the centres served families across communities, often offering classes at rates affordable to ordinary households.
Lee said imposing strict equity ownership requirements on such small businesses could place an unnecessary and disproportionate burden on operators.
"Unlike large commercial entities, they do not have the resources to restructure ownership or navigate complex regulatory requirements," he said.
He warned that the proposed rules could force established, community-focused tuition centres to close or scale back their operations, resulting in fewer learning options for students and removing an important support system for families.
Lee said if the policy objective was to increase Bumiputera participation in the education sector, there were other ways to achieve this without imposing mandatory ownership requirements.
"The relevant ministry could focus on empowering educators through government-backed training programmes, start-up grants and accessible resources," he said.
He added that such measures would directly encourage more Bumiputera teachers to open their own tuition centres, building participation from the ground up rather than through mandatory rules.
Lee also urged policymakers to protect small independent tuition centres from regulations intended for larger businesses so that they could continue providing affordable educational support.
At the same time, he called for greater use of positive incentives, including support, funding and skills development, to broaden participation in the sector voluntarily.
"This approach is proactive and does not disrupt the grassroots education service," he said.
