National Tahfiz Council Proposal To Be Brought To Cabinet Next Wednesday - Ahmad Zahid

KUALA LUMPUR, May 1 (Bernama) -- The proposal to establish a National Tahfiz Council, agreed upon at the 2026 Bumiputera Education Congress today, will be submitted for consideration and approval at the Cabinet meeting next Wednesday.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the move is important to strengthen the position of tahfiz education within the mainstream national education system and to ensure balanced human development in terms of knowledge and character.

“In this context, tahfiz education should no longer be viewed as a marginal stream. It must be given a more meaningful place within the national education system.

“We aim to produce huffaz who not only memorise the Quran, but also professional huffaz - engineers, doctors, technocrats, entrepreneurs and leaders among them,” he said when officiating the 2026 Bumiputera Education Congress at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur.

The congress, which brought together more than 5,000 academics, professionals and students, was held in conjunction with UMNO’s 80th anniversary.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also UMNO president, said the strengthening of tahfiz education must be elevated as a more structured national agenda, going beyond existing initiatives such as KEMAS Pre-Tahfiz, MARA Junior Science College (MRSM) Ulul Albab and Tahfiz Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

In addition, he said it is important to coordinate public and private higher education institutions offering tahfiz studies under a clear ecosystem framework to ensure broader career pathways.

Earlier in his speech, Ahmad Zahid said education must play a role in building economic strength by producing a generation that is knowledgeable, skilled and technologically literate, capable of creating value in a rapidly changing world.

On TVET, he said the employability rate of graduates in the field now exceeds 96 per cent, compared with about 80 per cent in 2020, with 53.56 per cent of Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) holders choosing the pathway.

He added that the achievement must be supported through the development of clear career pathways, strengthened industry collaboration, and the alignment of training with current job market needs.

In addition to producing a skilled workforce, the education must also shape citizens who understand history, respect the Constitution, uphold the Malay language, defend the royal institution, and appreciate the diversity of races and religions.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Minister of Rural and Regional Development, outlined five key areas of education reform, including the implementation of a more flexible multi-pathway system encompassing academic, TVET, tahfiz, digital, entrepreneurship, arts, sports and innovation streams.

Other priorities include expanding access to quality preschool education in rural areas, urban poor communities, as well as remote areas in Sabah and Sarawak, and among vulnerable groups from an early stage.

He also proposed strengthening the Bumiputera Education Waqf as a funding instrument for scholarships and to support underprivileged students, thereby reducing reliance on annual government allocations.

“In the history of Islamic civilisation, waqf has been a major instrument in the development of knowledge. This tradition must be revived to fund scholarships, assist underprivileged students and reduce dependence on annual government allocations,” he said.

He also stressed that the role of teachers must be elevated through greater attention to their welfare and well-being, training, as well as workload, to ensure the country’s education direction remains inclusive and progressive.

Earlier, Bumiputera Education Congress Secretariat head Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi presented the congress resolutions, including a proposal to establish a Teachers Commission to restructure the training system for educators in line with future needs.

-- BERNAMA