PM Anwar Pushes For 70 Pct STEM Enrolment In Residential Schools

CYBERJAYA, March 12 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has proposed that 70 per cent of students in fully residential schools opt for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) stream starting next year to strengthen expertise in these critical fields.

Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, stressed the urgent need to boost student participation in STEM this year, given its significance in national development.

“I will also propose that for boarding schools and residential colleges, at least 70 per cent of students starting next year must choose the STEM stream.

“Meanwhile, the remaining 30 per cent should pursue liberal arts and social science, like I did,” he said in his speech at the Prime Minister’s breaking of event with corporate entities and government-linked companies (GLCs) here today.

The event was also attended by Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and Treasury secretary-general Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican.

Anwar said he has instructed the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) to implement initiatives aimed at encouraging students to pursue STEM fields. 

“MARA, through MRSM, has been urged to actively push more students toward STEM.

“We have companies like Infineon, NVIDIA, Google and Microsoft, and artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere now, yet our children are not taking up STEM,” he said.

Last year, Anwar said MOE should prioritise mastery of three key subjects —Science, Mathematics and English —to support national development.

According to him, strengthening these subjects is crucial due to curriculum shifts driven by emerging fields such as AI, green energy transition, digital technology and social media.

-- BERNAMA