Still with the people? The chequered path of student activism in Malaysia

Malaysian students have a long history of activism around a range of sociopolitical issues, dating back to the late colonial period. However, Malaysian students are commonly perceived as unusually apathetic or easily cowed by government threats and sanctions. This paper explores the manifestation, nature and impacts of student activism in Malaysia, concluding that not just repressive tactics, but also ethnic and religious divisions, the relative position of the university in Malaysian society, and the availability of channels for at least some degree of engagement have curbed student unity and more transgressive activism.