Kuala Lumpur: The Ministry of Education (MOE) is retraining more than 100,000 teachers nationwide in digital pedagogy and 21st-century teaching tools, aligning with the ASEAN Work Plan on Education (2021-2025).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek emphasized that the initiative focuses on enhancing teachers’ professional development. This effort is being conducted in partnership with Google for Education, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), and local universities. Fadhlina highlighted Malaysia’s shift from passive knowledge transmission to active skills cultivation, creativity, critical thinking, and lifelong learning, positioning the country for bold transformation in education.
The ASEAN Work Plan on Education (2021-2025) provides a framework for cooperation, which Malaysia is fully aligned with, as stated by Fadhlina during her speech at the Empowering Education Summit 2025. She further explained that Malaysia is strengthening collaboration between the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector and industry players through initiatives like the National TVET Empowerment Agenda. This agenda enables the joint development of modular, industry-relevant training programs between public and private sectors.
Fadhlina also pointed out specific collaborations in Johor and Penang, where the electrical and electronics (E and E) sector is working with polytechnics and vocational colleges to design semiconductor-focused TVET pathways. Additionally, selected pilot schools are using AI-powered learning platforms to personalize student learning, identify early dropout risks, and provide tailored remediation.
Despite more than 200,000 students participating in STEM boot camps and robotics competitions in 2024, Fadhlina acknowledged that digital equity remains a challenge. To combat this, the ministry is deploying hybrid solar-powered classrooms and satellite internet to 180 schools in Sabah and Sarawak, aiming to ensure innovation reaches all parts of the nation and to reduce existing inequalities.
Furthermore, Fadhlina noted that Malaysia’s bilingual education system, which integrates Bahasa Melayu and English, is now expanding to include elective language offerings. These offerings will now cover Mandarin, Tamil, and ASEAN languages such as Thai, Khmer, and Vietnamese, promoting deeper intra-ASEAN collaboration. She stressed that ASEAN’s strength lies in its cultural, linguistic, and traditional diversity, and preparing youth to be multilingual, adaptable, and culturally competent is essential.