Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged students to adapt to the fast-changing educational landscape by expanding their knowledge and mastering emerging fields.
Speaking at a breaking-of-fast event with staff from the Education Ministry and the Ministry of Higher Education at the Seri Perdana Complex in Putrajaya, Anwar highlighted the increasing challenges facing students today, driven by digital transformation and evolving technological pressures.
“This is a very challenging era. Competition is extremely intense and the change is unprecedented,” he said, stressing that progress requires embracing new realities. “We cannot remain at the old level, whether in our way of thinking or the way we work.”
Anwar also noted that successfully adapting to change is not the responsibility of students alone. Educators and policymakers must actively participate to ensure that efforts to modernise learning are effective. “If this shift is only absorbed by students but not accepted by teachers or education planners, it will not succeed and will ultimately undermine the entire effort,” he added.
On the topic of national peace, the prime minister emphasised that maintaining stability goes beyond security forces. He called for collective responsibility and mutual understanding among Malaysians. “Differences do not necessarily breed hatred. When disagreements arise, they should be addressed in the spirit of ‘ta’aruf’ – to know and understand one another – rather than through hostility,” he said.
The breaking-of-fast event was attended by over 300 officers from both ministries, including students from the Institute of Teacher Education, and concluded with Maghrib and Tarawih prayers.
