In a response statement, Warisan Youth Vice Chief Mohd Khairuddin Daud said the statement by Sabah Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Datuk James Ratib, that Sabah’s education problems involve the entire education “ecosystem” proves that a long-rooted systemic failure exists.
According to him, this is in line with the World Bank’s Malaysia Learning Poverty Brief report, which revealed that Malaysia faces a serious “Learning Poverty” problem, where 42 percent of 10-year-old children fail to master basic reading skills.
“In Sabah, this reality is far more worrying. If the Minister himself admits that our education system is weak, then old approaches are no longer sufficient.
“Education autonomy is the only way to overhaul the entire ecosystem according to Sabah’s own needs and framework,” he said.
He said the World Bank report also showed a close relationship between poverty and access to education, especially in Sabah, which has been identified as the state with the highest poverty rate due to imbalances in infrastructure and educational development.
He added that Sabah also faces a higher risk of a post-pandemic “Lost Generation” phenomenon due to poor internet access and persistent student dropouts in rural areas.
“Although Malaysia spends a large amount on education, around 19 percent higher than the average of East Asia and Pacific countries, the outcomes achieved in Sabah are still disproportionate.
“This proves that the real issue is not merely a lack of funding, but the failure of centralized management that does not understand Sabah’s geographical context and challenges,” he said.
He stressed that education autonomy under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 could become a more effective solution in developing the state’s education system.
Among the proposals raised was allowing Sabah to manage its own education allocation without federal bureaucracy, which is alleged to be the reason why many dilapidated school projects are delayed or abandoned.
In addition, autonomy is also seen as helping the state government implement more targeted education policies and assistance for the B40 group and dropout students, especially in rural areas.
“Sabah needs an education system capable of producing a skilled workforce for local industries, not merely graduates for external job markets.
“Without executive powers in Sabah’s hands, all small initiatives will only become ‘painkiller solutions’ without solving the root causes of weaknesses in our education system,” he said.
