Pahang: Students of religious schools and pondok institutions are encouraged to master new technologies, which are seen as an important bulwark for Muslims in the country, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He emphasized that alongside morals and proper conduct, acquiring knowledge in areas such as artificial intelligence, digital skills, and computing is crucial to addressing current changes and challenges.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Prime Minister highlighted that part of the government's allocations aims to train maahad tahfiz students in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). This initiative exposes students of religious schools and pondok institutions to new technologies while maintaining the existing syllabus. He underscored the need for preachers and educators to be prepared to meet contemporary challenges.

During a gathering with students of Pahang state tahfiz schools at Masjid Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, which was attended by more than 300 tahfiz school students, the Prime Minister commended Pahang for its leading role in elevating the status of maahad tahfiz and Islamic education in the country. Notable attendees included Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Dr. Zulkifli Hasan, and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar.

The Prime Minister reiterated the importance of mastering the Malay language and History to enable the people to understand and appreciate the Federal Constitution. He stressed the need for these subjects to be taught to children to prevent future disputes over language and special rights, as these are already enshrined in the Constitution.

Anwar had previously stated that all schools in the country, including international schools, religious schools, and Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) stream schools, must offer Bahasa Melayu and History as subjects for examination at the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) level.