PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said it is too early for the government to make a decision on a proposal to lower the school-leaving age to 16.
“That’s something we’ll discuss, but it’s still too early at this stage,” he told reporters after the Budget 2026 consultation session here today.
Malaysia currently mandates schooling up to the age of 17 under the Education Act 1996.
Any change to this policy would require amendments to the law and engagement with education stakeholders.
The proposal came into public focus after Pandan MP Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli on Monday suggested that secondary education should conclude by age 16.
He said this would enable the younger generation to enter the workforce by 21 — a shift he deemed necessary as Malaysia transitions into an ageing nation.
Rafizi argued that a younger workforce contributing earlier to the economy would help strengthen the country’s long-term economic resilience.
