Today the merits of a nation are often rooted and measured by the quality of its respective education system and how widely available it is. A strong education system in place will combat poverty and help the nation enter new fields of innovation, while a weak system will suffer from general inefficiency and be seen as a sign of ongoing development of the nation by the international community. Malaysia, a country that provides easily obtainable primary and secondary education and reports high performance in international scholastic evaluations, is hindered by its higher education system that is widespread but only comparatively impressive in the region. While a balance should be struck between promoting vocational and academic education, Malaysia needs to reform its current tertiary education system not so much in terms of availability or the number of universities but in quality, as a surplus of unemployed graduates will consequently and undoubtedly deter future students from pursuing higher education. University graduates of both public and private should receive a deeper understanding of their subjects that is supplemented by employability skills sought after by potential employers.