SPM Bahasa Melayu and Malaysian History Made Mandatory for All Students Under New Education Plan: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 20: All Malaysian students, regardless of their education stream, will be required to sit for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) Bahasa Melayu and Malaysian History papers, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced today.

Speaking at the launch of the National Education Development Plan (RPN) 2026–2035, Anwar said the requirement applies uniformly to students in national schools, international schools, religious institutions, and those following the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) stream.

“This means all education systems in the country must make Bahasa Melayu compulsory in accordance with the ministry’s curriculum, including at SPM level,” he said, adding that Malaysian students enrolled in international schools will no longer be exempt from sitting the two subjects.

Anwar said the policy would also extend to religious schools, including community-based religious schools and Maahad Tahfiz institutions, which have recorded a sharp increase in enrolment nationwide. While these institutions may retain their religious curricula and teaching methods, he said government assistance would be conditional on compliance with the national education requirements.

“Religious schools and Maahad Tahfiz, which now have more than 400,000 students, must also teach Bahasa Melayu and Malaysian history,” he said.

On the UEC stream, Anwar noted that the issue is largely resolved, as most students already sit for SPM, including the Bahasa Melayu paper. He stressed that under existing regulations, Bahasa Melayu and Malaysian History are compulsory for international, religious and Chinese-stream schools, and that recognition would continue as long as these conditions are met.

The Prime Minister said the move is aimed at strengthening the role of Bahasa Melayu as the national language while ensuring all students share a common foundation in national history. He added that the policy aligns with the royal address delivered by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, at the opening of Parliament on Monday, which underscored the importance of language in nation-building.

“Mastery of the Malay language must go beyond basic competence and be strengthened as the lingua franca and a language of knowledge,” Anwar said.

At the same time, he called for a significant improvement in the teaching and mastery of English, describing it as critical to Malaysia’s economic future. He said English must be given greater priority so that students can master it as a strong second language, not as a subject taught in a limited or half-hearted manner.

Citing Malaysia’s record achievement of RM3 trillion in trade, Anwar said English proficiency is essential for the country to compete globally, particularly in areas such as digital transformation, energy transition and artificial intelligence.

He also said national schools must ensure adequate teaching support for students who wish to learn additional languages, including Mandarin, Tamil, and Arabic, as elective subjects.

Anwar expressed hope that the new policy framework under the RPN 2026–2035 would finally bring an end to long-standing debates on language and education in Malaysia.