KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim told Parliament today that his government plans to spend an additional RM800 million to hire 18,000 new teachers, as part of the policy shift to enrol six-year-olds into Year One.

The extra allocation will be drawn from additional expenditures under this year’s Supplementary Supply Bill, Anwar said during PM Question Time, when he was asked again to address parents’ concerns over the new policy, especially on infrastructure readiness.

“To ensure the shift is smooth, we will expand facilities and space in primary and secondary schools, vocational and matriculation colleges, and teachers institutions,” Anwar explained.

“We’ve made big preparations and this will take up a lot of spending so for this year, after discussions with the Finance Ministry, there will be RM800 million in additional budget to meet the need for 18,000 new teachers,” the Tambun MP added.

Critics of the new policy, including the National Union of the Teaching Profession, said the plan could create immense logistical and infrastructure strain, particularly the risk of “double cohorts” in 2027. 

By allowing six-year-olds to join seven-year-olds in Year One, there are concerns that schools could face overcrowded classrooms and a severe shortage of teachers trained in early childhood development. 

While the MOE has suggested using Industrialised Building System (IBS) methods for quick classroom expansion, skepticism remains regarding whether facilities—such as child-friendly toilets and play-based learning areas—will be ready to handle the unique physical and emotional needs of a much younger student population.  

Some MPs argued the new policy could widen inequality by favouring the wealthy—children from high-income families often have better access to quality early education, making them “readier” for Year One.

The early enrolment is part of the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2026–2035 Anwar unveiled earlier this month, and is one of the most controversial item of the ten year plan. 

The prime minister has defended the new policy despite mounting criticism. In Parliament today, he asserted the fact that most countries in the world enrol six year olds into Year One showed the system works.

“There are 137 countries that do this. This equates to 71 per cent of the world’s nations. We cannot be the among those left behind,” the Tambun MP said.