KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 — Opposition federal lawmakers today claimed that the Education Ministry’s plan to allow six-year-olds to enter Standard One contains weaknesses that could prove harmful if not addressed quickly.

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said the proposal raises serious questions about infrastructure readiness, among other issues.

Malaysia currently has 7,778 primary schools and around three million students, supported by 236,000 teachers. With more than 400,000 pupils in a single Standard One cohort, some have voiced concern that the existing system may not be able to absorb additional enrolment pressure.

“When there are a few groups of parents of six-year-olds who express keenness to enrol them into Standard One, there’s a possibility that it could influence other parents to do the same. Suddenly every six-year-old wants to enrol,” Hamzah told reporters in Parliament.

“Just now the minister said those who wish to enrol must do a diagnostic test. How many people can conduct this test? A single cohort alone is over 400,000. When it’s over 400,000 pupils, who is going to do all the tests?”

Earlier in the Dewan Rakyat, former education minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein posed a similar question, asking the ministry to detail how it plans to ensure school facilities can accommodate large-scale additional intake.

“How does the ministry plan to ensure facilities at school are enough to accommodate our students? Secondly, are there adequate teachers and have enough preparations been made before you roll the initiative out?” Hishammuddin questioned.

The former minister said he noted the ministry’s explanation that planning would hinge on more data, and that new classrooms would be built using the industrialised building system method.

“But the fact is, our country today has 7,778 primary schools and some three million students, with 236,000 teachers. This isn’t something that can be easily answered, and I gave the figures to help the ministry properly think this through,” Hishammuddin said.

The early enrolment is part of a new 10-year education plan Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim launched on Tuesday. Under the plan, parents have the option to enrol their six-year-old children in Standard One if they believe their children are ready.

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said yesterday a diagnostic screening test will determine the eligibility of six-year-olds for early Standard One enrolment starting from the 2027 school session.

With the option, students who pass the test to enrol from age six are expected to complete their upper secondary education at 16.

Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah (PN–Indera Mahkota) raised separate concerns at the same press conference about the proposed examination for Standard Four students. He said the minister has given inconsistent explanations about implementation, causing parents to worry.

“Just a week before the launch (of the new plan), the minister said they are studying the proposal to bring back UPSR and PT3. Then suddenly it was announced there will be examinations for Standard Four. So we’d like to know, will this examination replace the UPSR?” the MP asked.

“There are so many questions about the plan that need clarification.”