Prime Minister Anwar: Too soon to say if students should finish school at 16 to join workforce earlier
Published on: Thu, Aug 07, 2025
By: Muhammad Yusry, Malay Mail Text Size: Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (right) speaking during the Ministry of Finance's Budget Engagement Session at the ministry's headquarters in Putrajaya August 7, 2025. — Picture by Raymond Manuel PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said it is too early to decide whether students should complete secondary school by the age of 16 to enable them to enter the workforce by 21. He said the matter still requires thorough discussion before any decision can be made.
Advertisement 'We'll discuss that. It's too early,' he told reporters briefly after attending the Budget Engagement Session at the Finance Ministry's headquarters here. On Monday, former Economy Minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli suggested in the Dewan Rakyat that Malaysia should consider allowing students to complete secondary school by 16, enabling them to enter the workforce by 21. He said the policy shift was worth considering as the country moves towards becoming an ageing nation, stressing the need for a younger workforce to begin contributing to the economy earlier. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Borneo Post
an hour ago
- Borneo Post
Tengku Zafrul picks apart Dr Mahathir's ‘clearly false' claims about US-Malaysia trade deal
Dr Mahathir speaks to the press at the Perdana Leadership Foundation in Putrajaya on Dec 10, 2024. — Malay Mail photo KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 8): Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Aziz has rebutted former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's criticism of Malaysia's recent trade arrangement with the United States, saying the latter was making 'false allegations' and misrepresenting facts surrounding the deal. In an Instagram post today, the minister of investment, trade, and industry dismantled Dr Mahathir's claim that the government was overly eager about the deal and had made concessions that unfairly benefitted the US. Among others, Dr Mahathir alleged Malaysia was removing all taxes on 11,000 American products in return for a modest drop in US tariffs on Malaysian exports from 25 per cent to 19 per cent. Tengku Zafrul countered that only 60.4 per cent of the tariff lines will be zero-rated, not 100 per cent as alleged by the former prime minister. 'There's a significant difference between 60 per cent and 100 per cent, Tun,' Tengku Zafrul wrote, calling the claim 'clearly false.' Dr Mahathir also criticised a supposed commitment by Malaysia to supply unprocessed rare earth to the US at a low return. Tengku Zafrul clarified that there is no exclusive supply agreement for rare earth, nor any intention to export the material in raw form. He said Malaysia's existing policy mandates that rare earth must be processed domestically before being exported. 'Please reread the official statement, Tun,' said Tengku Zafrul, challenging Dr Mahathir to disclose the source of his claim. Tengku Zafrul further said that while criticism is acceptable, it becomes problematic when it is based on falsehoods. He also said he viewed the government's approach as a responsible effort to protect Malaysian jobs and livelihoods, rather than seeking approval. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump announced the new 'reciprocal' tariff of 19 per cent on Malaysia, down from the 25 per cent he originally imposed, following negotiations between the two countries. — Malay Mail Dr Mahathir Tengku Zafrul US tariff
Daily Express
an hour ago
- Daily Express
Ringgit rises vs greenback on stronger odds of US rate cut
Published on: Friday, August 08, 2025 Published on: Fri, Aug 08, 2025 By: Bernama Text Size: At 8 am, the local note rose to 4.2205/2405 against the greenback from Thursday's close of 4.2340/2385. Kuala Lumpur: The ringgit opened firmer against the US dollar on Friday, extending gains, after United States (US) economic data reinforced expectations of an imminent interest rate cut at the Federal Reserve's next policy meeting, an economist said. At 8 am, the local note rose to 4.2205/2405 against the greenback from Thursday's close of 4.2340/2385. Advertisement Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said US initial jobless claims increased more than expected to 226,000 last week, above market forecasts of 221,000. He said the increase marked a second consecutive weekly rise, supporting views that signs of labour market weakness are emerging, even though Federal Open Market Committee members believe more data is needed before their September meeting. 'Notwithstanding that, the US Dollar Index fell 0.09 per cent to 98,084 points as the odds of a September rate cut are rising,' he told Bernama. On the domestic front, Mohd Afzanizam said the ringgit could remain supported after coming under selling pressure in yesterday's afternoon session. Advertisement 'Expect the ringgit against the US dollar to hover around RM4.22 to RM4.23 today,' he added. The ringgit was mostly lower against a basket of major and regional currencies in early trade. It eased against the Japanese yen to 2.8750/8888 from 2.8732/8765 on Thursday and weakened against the British pound to 5.6770/7039 from 5.6596/6656. It, however, strengthened against the euro to 4.9283/9516 from 4.9411/9463. Against regional peers, the local unit was firmer. It edged up against the Singapore dollar to 3.2906/3064 from 3.2973/3013 and appreciated vis-à-vis the Thai baht to 13.0653/1346 from 13.0954/1146. The ringgit also gained against the Philippine peso to 7.39/7.44 from 7.42/7.44 and firmed versus the Indonesian rupiah to 259.1/260.4 from 259.9/260.3. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
58th Asean Day: Malaysia's proactive diplomacy underscored in regional celebration
CYBERJAYA: Malaysia today joined fellow Asean member states in celebrating the 58th Asean Day, with strong emphasis on this year's theme "Towards Inclusivity and Sustainability Asean Future." Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is expected to grace the national-level celebration and deliver a keynote address, reaffirming Malaysia's continued commitment to Asean's shared aspirations especially as the country holds the Chairmanship of Asean 2025.
