Training tomorrow's leaders: The case for a Malaysian leadership academy

By Pravin Periasamy and Maba

Malaysia’s present governance challenges demand far more than charisma and political ambition.

Today, the nation faces increasingly complex problems, such as environmental sustainability, income inequality and global economic volatility.

Clearly, the present leadership development pathways are no longer fit for purpose. Political leaders often ascend through informal, party-driven mechanisms that lack rigour. These fail to systematically prepare individuals for the multifaceted responsibilities of governance.

This is where a national leadership academy (or akademi kepimpinan kebangsaan) could come into play. Such an initiative could be designed to systematically identify and train Malaysia’s most promising individuals. It could create a structured and meritocratic pathway to produce leaders to manage the country’s administration and hold high office.

Malaysia’s leadership development faces three core challenges. The pathways to leadership are fragmented and informal. Political leaders often emerge through party hierarchies, grassroots activism and corporate crossovers.

While these pathways provide opportunities for some, they ultimately lack standardisation and fail to cultivate the technical expertise required for modern governance.

Many leaders lack a connection with ordinary people. They rise to positions of power without meaningful engagement with the complexities of public policy. They are not systematically prepared for governance.

Governance requires a deep understanding of policy design, fiscal management and international diplomacy. Without structured training mechanisms, leaders often rely on a trial-and-error approach.

Such an approach could result in costly inefficiencies, delayed policy implementation and missed opportunities to effectively address pressing national challenges.

A national leadership academy could be designed to specifically address this.

The academy would function through a rigorous and meritocratic framework. Recruitment would ensure diversity while prioritising the most capable candidates.

The recruitment process would begin with a nationwide campaign targeting top university graduates, young professionals and community leaders. It could partner with academic institutions, professional bodies and NGOs to ensure a wide reach, including rural communities.

Candidates would submit detailed portfolios that include academic records and leadership experience.

Psychometric testing would assess resilience, ethical reasoning and problem-solving abilities in governance-related scenarios, such as balancing competing fiscal priorities.

The academy would recruit 20 candidates annually. Shortlisted candidates would then face panel interviews conducted by senior policymakers, academics and community leaders. These interviews would evaluate their critical thinking and public service commitment.

The academy’s 18-month curriculum would be structured to address the demands of modern governance, balancing theoretical expertise with hands-on experience. The theoretical core would include modules on public policy design, constitutional law and fiscal management.

Participants would learn policy modelling, cost-benefit analysis and impact evaluations through case studies of Malaysia’s history, such as the New Economic Policy and the “shared prosperity vision”.

Practical exposure would form a crucial part of the curriculum. Participants would undertake 12-week internships in key ministries.

The success of the Perdana fellows programme could be used as a foundation for a national leadership academy. It shows the value of pairing young talents with senior ministers for mentoring and hands-on exposure to governance. Many alumni have since emerged as influential leaders in both the public and private sectors.

A national leadership academy would build on this model, but on a much larger scale. It would institutionalise leadership development with a comprehensive curriculum, rigorous training and a clear pathway to governance. This would ensure a steady pipeline of governance-ready leaders for Malaysia’s future.

The academy would require a dedicated governance structure overseen by a council comprising representatives from the prime minister’s office, the Public Service Department and academia.

Funding would be allocated through the federal budget, with additional support from private sector partnerships and international grants.

Key performance indicators (KPIs) would measure the academy’s success, including the number of graduates placed in leadership roles, the diversity of participants, and the quality of policies influenced by alumni.

Regular audits and evaluations would ensure transparency and accountability.

The national leadership academy would be more than a training programme. It would be a systematic solution to Malaysia’s leadership challenges. It would create a new generation of leaders who are technically skilled, ethically grounded, and deeply connected to the people.

This is a transformative vision for Malaysia’s governance. Imagine a nation led by individuals prepared to tackle its most pressing challenges with expertise, empathy and integrity.

The time to act is now. Let’s build this national leadership academy and secure Malaysia’s leadership for generations to come.

Pravin Periasamy is a regular contributor to Aliran. Maba is the pseudonym of his colleague.