If you're ethnic-Indian—or if you have friends who are—chances are you've experienced first hand, or heard about racism in Malaysia’s rental market. Landlords rejecting tenants based solely on race. Ads that say “No Indians” or “Chinese only.” There are also instances where rental fee/pricing is clearly discriminatory. 

But what can you do about it?

Right now, the truth is—not much. The rental system in Malaysia is under-regulated, with few protections for tenants.  

So what would it look like to fix this?

So the NGO, Architects of Diversity (AOD) has launched a campaign calling for the enactment of a Residential Tenancy Act (RTA) in Malaysia, aiming to address long-standing issues in the country’s largely rental housing market. 

We speak to Jason Wee, Co-Founder of Architects of Diversity. 

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Produced by: Dashran Yohan

Presented by: Dashran Yohan

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Categories:  Law/Activism,  politics,  controversies

Tags:  rental discrimination,  racial stereotype,  Residential Tenancy Act (RTA),  the bigger picture,  beyond the ballot box,  racism,  racial profiling,  racial discrimination,  rental market,  house hunting,  national unity,  social cohesion,  inclusivity,  marginalised communities,