FORM Six students will receive an allowance from next year, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim saying the allocation will be included in the 2027 Budget.
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said the decision was made after students raised the issue during a dialogue with him.
He said Form Six students were currently the exception, as allowances were available at earlier stages of schooling and for university students.
“From Year One to Form Five, there is an allowance. University students have allowances. Form Six, pre-university, does not.
“So I have announced that in our Budget in October, I will approve the allocation and allowance for Form Six students,” he said during the Temu Anwar session at IPG Kampus Tuanku Bainun today.
Anwar said the amount had not been fixed and would depend on the government’s financial position.
The announcement follows a resolution passed by Form Six students at the two-day Kongres Prauniversiti Madani.
Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek said earlier that the allowance was among 12 resolutions adopted by the students, all of which she had accepted.
The congress brought together Form Six students from across the country to debate motions and put forward their views on issues affecting them.
Fadhlina said young people needed room to disagree and question ideas, rather than simply being expected to accept what they were told.
“If we truly want to hear the voices of young people, we must also be brave enough to give them space to express different views.
“That is why Kongres Prauniversiti Madani was established,” she said in a social media post.
She said the students had debated in a hall resembling Parliament, giving them an early experience of how discussions and decision-making take place.
Fadhlina also announced an additional RM100 book voucher for each congress delegate and said she had sponsored 100 copies of Salina for Arts stream students.
Anwar said education continued to receive the biggest share of the Madani government’s budget, although he acknowledged that the allocation could still be improved.
“Is it enough? Not yet. Not enough. But all ministries have to be funded. Education receives the largest allocation because we think about the future,” he said.
He urged Form Five and Form Six students, as well as trainee teachers, to take their studies seriously and develop discipline, critical thinking and respect for others.
Anwar said academic results should not come at the expense of character and ethics.
He also called for students from poorer families, rural areas, estates, urban poor communities and remote areas to have the same opportunities to pursue their education.
Anwar said young Malaysians would be important to the country’s future, particularly as Malaysia expands in areas such as artificial intelligence, information technology, semiconductors, education and the public service.
He reminded students that success would require effort and determination, saying there were no shortcuts to achieving their ambitions. – August 28, 2026
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