Bill for compulsory secondary education tabled for second reading in Dewan Rakyat
Under the proposed amendments, the government intends to introduce a new provision — Section 32A — to the Education Act 1996, enabling the Minister to issue a gazetted order to make secondary education compulsory.
The new section stipulates that any breach of the requirement may be punishable by a fine of up to RM5,000, a maximum jail term of six months, or both, unless the child has been granted an exemption.
The bill also seeks to broaden the scope of Section 29A to cover all Malaysian children residing in the country.
When tabling the bill, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the amendments reflected the Madani government's commitment to improving access to education.
Earlier, during Minister's Question Time, Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said that the amendments were not intended to punish, but to educate and raise awareness to ensure children complete their schooling up to Form Five.
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