Kuala lumpur: 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.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Ahmad Zahid emphasized that tahfiz education should no longer be perceived as a marginal stream but should be integrated meaningfully within the national education system. He highlighted the goal of producing huffaz who not only memorise the Quran but also excel in professional fields such as engineering, medicine, and entrepreneurship. This was stated during his officiation at the 2026 Bumiputera Education Congress at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur, an event that gathered over 5,000 academics, professionals, and students in celebration of UMNO's 80th anniversary.
Ahmad Zahid, who also serves as UMNO president, proposed that the strengthening of tahfiz education be elevated as a structured national agenda, surpassing existing initiatives like KEMAS Pre-Tahfiz, MARA Junior Science College Ulul Albab, and Tahfiz Technical and Vocational Education and Training. He stressed the necessity of coordinating public and private higher education institutions offering tahfiz studies under a coherent ecosystem framework to ensure wider career pathways.
In his address, Ahmad Zahid also underscored the role of education in bolstering economic strength by cultivating a generation that is knowledgeable, skilled, and technologically adept, capable of creating value in a rapidly evolving world. He noted the significant increase in the employability rate of TVET graduates, which now exceeds 96 percent, in contrast to about 80 percent in 2020, with over half of Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia holders opting for this pathway. This achievement, he asserted, needs support through the development of clear career pathways, enhanced industry collaboration, and alignment of training with current job market demands.
Furthermore, Ahmad Zahid outlined five key areas of education reform, including a flexible multi-pathway system encompassing academic, TVET, tahfiz, digital, entrepreneurship, arts, sports, and innovation streams. Other priorities involve expanding access to quality preschool education for rural, urban poor, and remote communities in Sabah and Sarawak, as well as among vulnerable groups from an early stage.
He also proposed bolstering the Bumiputera Education Waqf as a funding mechanism for scholarships to support underprivileged students, thereby reducing dependence on annual government allocations. Stressing the historical significance of waqf in Islamic civilisation for knowledge development, he urged the revival of this tradition to fund scholarships and assist disadvantaged students.
In addition, Ahmad Zahid highlighted the need to elevate the role of teachers by focusing on their welfare, training, and workload to ensure the country's educational direction remains inclusive and progressive. Earlier, the Bumiputera Education Congress Secretariat head, Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi, presented the congress resolutions, which included a proposal for establishing a Teachers Commission to restructure the training system for educators to meet future needs.