KUALA LUMPUR: The National Education Council (MPN) scheduled for establishment this year will convene its first conference during the fourth quarter to advance the national education reform agenda.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir confirmed the council’s formation under the new Malaysian Higher Education Policy 2025-2030 framework.
“MPN aims to coordinate the country’s education policy comprehensively across various levels, namely early childhood education, higher education and lifelong education, in other words, it involves two main ministries, namely the Ministry of Education (KPM) and the Ministry of Higher Education (KPT).”
He announced during the parliamentary winding-up session that relevant ministries will prepare a cabinet memorandum for formal presentation.
The council will serve as Malaysia’s highest education committee chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
MPN membership will extend beyond education ministries to include the Ministry of Human Resources, the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.
The council will also incorporate non-governmental organisations, communities and experts from within and outside the country, given that issues related to education involve the entire ecosystem.
Zambry proposed including the Special Select Committee on Nation-Building, Education and Human Resources Development chaired by Indera Mahkota MP in the council structure.
“This council needs to cross-party for the sake of the interests and future well-being of our country,” he emphasised.
Separately, Zambry guaranteed placement opportunities for excellent students with disabilities allegedly denied admission to public universities.
He confirmed that disabled students achieving excellent 4A results remain eligible for public higher education institution placements despite university facility limitations.
“We need to change university policies which must be more inclusive of OKU. Therefore, the application involving this 4A disabled student, God willing, he will get his place later.”
The minister referenced Aniq, a disabled student with a 3.83 matriculation CGPA who met all programme requirements but faced system accessibility issues.
Zambry reiterated that public university intake policies must prioritise local students before considering international applicants.
“For example, the number of UPUs required for a university is so many, then the quota is filled first and if there is a surplus in terms of the capacity of the university concerned, then it will be opened (to the intake of international students) according to the policy that we have been implementing since 1996.”
He revealed that 497,000 Malaysian students pursued higher education at public universities last year compared to 13,000 international undergraduate students.
The ministry remains committed to safeguarding local student opportunities within public higher education institutions. – Bernama