In Malaysia, an oppressive climate persists, from explicit violations of human rights, such as excessive use of force against marginalized groups, arbitrary detentions, and suppression of dissenting voices, to subtler yet pervasive forms like microaggressions and entrenched systemic biases, in the spheres of policies, social fabric, discourse and education.

This policy brief explores:

(1) The prevalence of Paulo Freire’s banking model in Malaysia, and how it perpetuates an oppressive culture.

(2) An alternative pedagogy—”problem-posing” pedagogy—where problem-solving, collaborative dialogue and collective action form the central tenets of the model.

(3) How dialogic tools and methods in Socratic dialogue can complement and enhance Freire’s  problem-posing pedagogy, considering the plurality and intersectionality of identity in Malaysia.

(4) Systemic and policy recommendations to transition to a more liberal, just, inclusive and humane future of Malaysia.