PM Anwar: All Malaysian students required to sit SPM Bahasa Melayu, History papers

Anwar speaking during the launch of the National Education Plan 2026–2035 at Dewan Perdana, Putrajaya on Jan 20, 2026. Photo: SHAHNAZ FAZLIE/Pejabat Perdana Menteri

By Ashley Sim

KUCHING, Jan 20: All Malaysian students, regardless of schooling stream, must sit for the SPM Bahasa Melayu and Malaysian History papers, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced today (Jan 20), in a move aimed at standardising national education requirements and strengthening unity.

He said the requirement applies to students from international schools, Sekolah Agama Rakyat, Maahad Tahfiz and Chinese independent schools, including those following the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) pathway.

“This country has clearly established Bahasa Melayu as the official language. Its mastery must not only be maintained, but elevated as a lingua franca and as a language of knowledge,” he said in his speech at the launch of the National Education Plan 2026–2035 in Putrajaya.

Anwar stressed that the policy is intended to ensure every Malaysian student shares a common national foundation, while still allowing different education streams to preserve their respective identities.

“All government assistance is conditional. These institutions may maintain their manhaj, tarbiah and prescribed texts. We will not interfere. But Bahasa Melayu and Sejarah Malaysia are compulsory,” he said.

He said the move would help resolve long-standing controversies surrounding higher education access for students from different schooling systems.

“With this requirement in place, pathways to higher education, whether from international schools, religious schools or UEC, should no longer be controversial. We accept all streams, as long as these national conditions are met,” he added.

While reaffirming Bahasa Melayu as the national language, Anwar also called for a significant improvement in English proficiency, saying standards must be raised to prepare students for global competition.

“English must be given greater priority than it is today. It cannot be taught casually. The standard and quality of English education must be improved,” he said.

He cited Malaysia’s recent achievement of record trade value exceeding RM3 trillion, noting that strong English proficiency is essential in international trade, digital transformation, artificial intelligence and energy transition sectors.

At the same time, Anwar assured that national schools will continue to offer optional language learning, including Chinese, Tamil and Arabic, with the Education Ministry required to provide sufficient teachers.

“Any child, whether Malay, Chinese or Indian, who wishes to learn another language must be given the opportunity. It is the ministry’s responsibility to ensure teachers are available,” he said.

Anwar expressed hope that the policy would finally put an end to decades of divisive debate over language in education.

“We want to end the endless polemics on language by strengthening Bahasa Melayu as the main language, while improving mastery of other languages within our education system,” he said. — DayakDaily