Governance Architecture and Inclusive Education in ASEAN: A Comparative Study of Indonesia and Malaysia

Abstract

Inclusive education has emerged as both a moral imperative and a strategic economic instrument within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), yet translating regional policy declarations into effective classroom realities remains profoundly uneven across the bloc. This study critically examines how divergent national governance architectures shape the delivery of inclusive education for persons with disabilities within the ASEAN context. Employing a qualitative comparative case study methodology grounded in document analysis and a systematic review of Scopus-indexed literature published between 2020 and 2026, this article contrasts Indonesia's highly decentralised regional autonomy model with Malaysia's centralised federal governance structure across four analytical dimensions: legal and institutional frameworks, resource allocation and financing, teacher preparation, and socio-cultural attitudes. Anchored in a tripartite theoretical framework integrating the Social Model of Disability, Human Capital Theory, and Multi-level Governance Theory, the analysis demonstrates that decentralisation in Indonesia fosters community-responsive adaptations but produces severe geographic disparities, while Malaysia's centralisation ensures structural uniformity but suppresses pedagogical flexibility, resulting in systemic 'procedural inclusion' without genuine participation. Both cases reveal persistent tensions between policy rhetoric and implementation, underscored by inadequate teacher training, stigma, and fragmented data systems. In light of the forthcoming ASEAN Community Vision 2045, this article argues for an 'adaptive centralisation' governance model, disability-inclusive financing reforms, and systemic Universal Design for Learning integration as foundations for a paradigm shift from a charity model to a rights-based investment approach.