New school curriculum to introduce Sabah identity elements in Year One and Form One next year

Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek said the initiative was agreed upon at a Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council meeting. — Bernama pic

First Published: Saturday, 12 Sep 2026 9:25 AM MYT

KOTA KINABALU, Sept 12 — Elements reflecting Sabah’s identity will be incorporated into the new school curriculum for Year One and Form One students from the next academic session, Education Minister Datuk Seri Fadhlina Sidek said.

She said the initiative was among the agreements reached on education at the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63) meeting here this morning.

Fadhlina said Sabah Education, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk James Ratib had given his full support to the proposal.

“Among the matters discussed was how we can continue to support education in Sabah based on the agreements and terms under MA63.

“The Sabah identity elements will be introduced in the new Year One and Form One curriculum from next year,” she told reporters after attending the handover ceremony for the Sekolah Menengah Sains Sabah and Sekolah Kebangsaan Buit Hill projects here yesterday.

Fadhlina said incorporating elements of Sabah’s identity into the curriculum was important in strengthening ties among Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, which she described as a foundation of Malaysia’s strength.

She said the initiative would enable younger generations to understand, appreciate and respect Sabah’s rich cultural heritage while allowing it to be shared more widely through the national curriculum.

Meanwhile, Fadhlina said the placement of new teachers and appointments of principals and headteachers in Sabah were in the final stages of being completed.

On dilapidated schools in Sabah, the minister said progress was encouraging, with some projects completed and others under construction or in the pre-implementation stage.

She said the ministry was continuing to closely monitor the projects with relevant agencies, including the Sabah Public Works Department (JKR), to ensure upgrading works proceeded smoothly.

In her speech earlier, Fadhlina said 245 dilapidated schools in Sabah had been fully rebuilt, while another 63 were under construction and the remainder were at various stages of implementation.

They are among 416 dilapidated schools in Sabah identified for complete replacement, she said. — Bernama