KOTA KINABALU: Education reforms under the Malaysia Education Plan 2026–2035 aim to place Sabah and Sarawak on par with other states while curbing brain drain by preparing skilled local talent, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak) Mustapha Sakmud.
Speaking at the Wacana Rancangan Pendidikan Malaysia 2026–2035 here on Saturday, he said the plan emphasises early intervention, infrastructure equity and future-ready skills.
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He said lowering the entry age to Year One to six and reintroducing assessments at Year Four would help identify students’ potential earlier and allow better placement into academic or technical and vocational pathways, while higher education reforms such as modular learning and micro-credentials under an unbundling approach would enable flexible qualification building.
Mustapha said strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (Tvet) is central to the plan as future industries will require practical and digital skills, adding that digital literacy and artificial intelligence exposure must extend to rural communities to prevent a widening digital divide.
He said dilapidated school buildings, classroom shortages and teacher gaps in Sabah and Sarawak must be addressed, with infrastructure upgrades, teacher recruitment and curriculum reform aligned to support long-term development through a steady pipeline of skilled local talent.
