PUTRAJAYA, Jan 20 — The government’s education reform plan will focus on language education, reaffirming Bahasa Melayu as the national language while improving English proficiency to meet global demands, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.

He said mastery of Bahasa Melayu must go beyond just a formal requirement and reflect real competence.

“Language proficiency, therefore, must not be viewed in isolation or confined to a single language. Mastery of Malay must be strengthened, while proficiency in English must also be enhanced in line with global demands.

“The teaching and learning of languages in schools and universities must be improved in terms of both quality and effectiveness,” he said during the launch of the National Education Blueprint 2026-2035 here.

Coinciding with Matrade’s confirmation that Malaysia’s trade value surpassed RM3 trillion for the first time in history, he highlighted the need for strong English proficiency to compete globally, especially in fields such as digital transformation, energy transition and artificial intelligence (AI).

He added that all national schools are required to provide sufficient teachers for both Malay and English.

“Besides Malay and English, children who wish to study Chinese, Tamil or Arabic as elective languages must also be given opportunities.

“These languages will be offered in schools to ensure that students can pursue mastery in their chosen language,” he said.

The prime minister emphasised that the 2026 policy aims to settle the long-standing language polemic by firmly establishing Malay as the primary language while promoting the learning of other languages within the national education system.