Why Formatting Errors Delay Graduation
At major Malaysian public universities, the School of Graduate Studies checks thesis formatting before accepting it for examination. Submissions that don’t comply with the formatting guide get returned to the student — sometimes right before a deadline. This is more common than most students expect, and the delays it causes are entirely avoidable.
Margins
The most common standard at Malaysian public universities is: 3.5 cm on the left (to allow for binding), and 2.5 cm on the right, top, and bottom. Some universities specify 4 cm on the left. Check your institution’s guide specifically — using 2.5 cm on the binding edge is a guaranteed return.
Font and Size
Times New Roman 12pt is the standard across most Malaysian universities. Some institutions also accept Arial 11pt. Switching fonts between chapters, using a smaller font to reduce page count, or using a larger font to pad it — none of these are acceptable.
Line Spacing and Paragraph Formatting
Double spacing is required for the main body text at most universities. References, footnotes, long quotations, and table captions are typically single-spaced. Paragraph indentation and spacing rules also vary — check your specific institution’s guide.
Page Numbering
Preliminary pages are numbered with lowercase Roman numerals (i, ii, iii). The main body starts at page 1 with Arabic numerals. Page numbers must be consistently positioned throughout — typically at the bottom centre or bottom right.
What Often Gets Missed
The title page itself has a specific required layout. List of abbreviations is required if you use acronyms. Figures and tables must be listed separately and numbered correctly (Figure 1.1 for the first figure in Chapter 1).
Language and Declaration Pages
Most Malaysian public universities require both a Bahasa Malaysia abstract and an English abstract. The declaration of originality page has a prescribed format — use the exact template from your university’s guide.
Final Checks Before Printing
Print a test copy before committing to the full print run. Check margins with a ruler on the physical page. Verify that the table of contents matches the actual page numbers in the document.
