The circulation of a graphic claiming to identify the top 10 Malaysian universities with the highest number of "sugar babies" has reopened an uncomfortable debate about our young people, university education, morality and the commercialisation of human relationships.
The graphic, attributed to the dating platform Sugarbook, lists Sunway University, INTI International University, Taylor's University and several other institutions, including Universiti Malaya and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). It also claims that thousands of students are registered as sugar babies, receiving financial allowances from older, wealthier men.
However, these figures must be treated with considerable caution. In February 2021, the Ministry of Higher Education questioned their credibility. Sunway Education Group disputed the claim that 3,105 of its students were sugar babies, pointing out that this would represent approximately 45 per cent of its student population. UiTM also lodged a police report denying the reported figures.
More significantly, on October 27, 2026, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir told Parliament that the Ministry would examine the latest circulating claims, including their methodology and accuracy. He acknowledged that the Ministry did not yet have detailed figures establishing the number of students involved.
This admission highlights an important starting point: Malaysia needs reliable evidence rather than sensational statistics that risk damaging the reputation of universities and their students.
Nevertheless, dismissing questionable figures should not mean dismissing the underlying social concern.
Why would a university student consider entering a financially transactional relationship with an older individual? The reasons may be more complicated than a simple departure from conventional morality.
Financial pressures are an obvious consideration. Tuition fees, accommodation, transportation, food and other living expenses can place considerable burdens on students and their families. Some may see such arrangements as an alternative source of income, particularly when legitimate employment opportunities are insufficient or incompatible with their studies.
But financial necessity is only part of the picture. We must also confront the growing influence of consumerism, social media and the desire for instant gratification. Luxury holidays, branded possessions, expensive restaurants and fashionable lifestyles are constantly presented as symbols of achievement. Young people can become trapped between their actual financial circumstances and the lifestyle they aspire to maintain.
When self-worth becomes associated with purchasing power and outward appearances, transactional relationships can appear attractive.
There is also a deeper question about gender equality and unequal power. Sugar dating is frequently marketed as a mutually beneficial arrangement between consenting adults. Yet financial dependency can create an imbalance in bargaining power. What begins as companionship or financial assistance may develop into manipulation, emotional dependency, coercion or exploitation.
Consent should never be confused with the absence of vulnerability. Nor should financial assistance create an expectation of sexual access or control over another person's life.
This brings us to the moral dimension. A society must distinguish between personal freedom, consensual adult relationships and exploitation. These are not interchangeable matters. Coercion, trafficking, blackmail, sexual exploitation and involvement of minors require particularly serious attention under the law.
The concern should not be confined to the morality of young women. Wealthy older men who initiate, encourage or exploit financially vulnerable students must be examined with equal seriousness. It would be a double standard to place the entire burden of social morality on the financially weaker party while overlooking those who possess greater economic and negotiating power.
Malaysia's response must therefore extend beyond banning applications, issuing warnings or condemning individuals.
First, the Ministry of Higher Education should commission an independent nationwide study to establish the actual scale of the problem. It should distinguish platform registrations from verified participation and examine the circumstances, motivations and experiences of those involved. Findings should be published without compromising personal identities.
Second, universities should strengthen student welfare mechanisms. Emergency financial assistance, needs-based scholarships, affordable accommodation, subsidised meals and accessible counselling should be available to students experiencing genuine hardship. No student should feel that exchanging intimacy for financial assistance is the only available means of completing a university education.
Third, financial literacy, digital safety, relationship education and awareness of sexual exploitation should become integral components of student development. Young people need to understand financial manipulation, online blackmail, privacy risks, consent and the consequences of becoming financially dependent on strangers.
Fourth, authorities must hold digital platforms accountable for their practices, including age verification, personal data protection, advertising and safeguards against exploitation. Enforcement should focus on identifiable offences and those who profit from coercion or abuse, rather than indiscriminately criminalising or humiliating vulnerable individuals.
But perhaps the most important question concerns the purpose of education itself.
Are our universities merely producing graduates equipped with academic qualifications and professional skills, or are they developing individuals with integrity, self-respect, empathy and social responsibility?
A degree should represent more than the ability to earn an income. It should also reflect the development of character and the capacity to contribute meaningfully to society.
This is where families, schools, religious institutions and the wider community must reconsider their responsibilities. Moral education cannot be reduced to prohibitions, sermons or punishment. It must cultivate discernment, self-discipline, respect for others and an understanding that human dignity cannot be measured by wealth, physical appearance or material possessions.
Malaysia invests billions in education and aspires to become a developed nation. Yet economic development without corresponding social and moral development risks creating a society that measures success by consumption rather than contribution.
The controversy over sugar babies is therefore not simply about dating preferences or sexual morality. It exposes the contradictions between our educational ambitions, economic inequalities, consumer culture and the values we claim to uphold.
We should not shame young people who may be struggling, nor should we normalise the commercialisation of human relationships. We must address both the circumstances that create vulnerability and the behaviour that exploits it.
Ultimately, the measure of an educated and progressive society is not merely the number of graduates it produces or the international ranking of its universities. It is whether young people can pursue their ambitions without compromising their dignity, whether women and men relate to one another as equals, and whether prosperity is accompanied by integrity and compassion.
Malaysia must educate not merely to produce people who can earn a living, but to develop human beings who understand the value of living with dignity.
K.T.Maran Social Environmental Animal Activist
K.T. Maran (maran.kt@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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