Higher Education Minister says legal amendments are required before Form Six and Matriculation can be transferred to his ministry this year
PUTRAJAYA: Several legal aspects must be resolved before the pre-university education system involving Form Six and Matriculation can be implemented this year.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said this follows the Prime Minister’s announcement that the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) will fully take over the system.
Zambry explained that the management of Form Six and Matriculation was previously under the Ministry of Education (MOE).
He stated that adjustments to existing laws are now required to facilitate the transfer.
“To implement this, as an initial step to ensure that Form Six and Matriculation are implemented at the higher education level, we first need to resolve several legal aspects or amendments to the existing Acts,” he said at a press conference.
The minister’s comments clarify the path forward after earlier conflicting reports.
In February 2025, a deputy education minister had said no final decision had been made regarding the MOHE takeover.
Zambry also outlined broader reforms aligned with the new National Education Blueprint (RPN) 2026-2035.
He said the higher education system will adopt a more flexible and adaptive approach, moving beyond physical buildings and rigid curricula.
Students will benefit from a ‘jukebox system’ allowing them to take courses from different universities based on inter-institutional agreements.
He gave an example of collaborations between the University of Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.
Meanwhile, the MOHE will hold a special retreat to ensure effective implementation of the Malaysian Higher Education Blueprint (RPTM) 2026-2035.
Zambry said experts would guide the ministry on the best methods to execute the various agendas.
The RPN 2026-2035 is a national strategic plan involving both the MOE and MOHE.
It aims to build a more equitable, competitive and values-based future generation across the entire education ecosystem.
