PM Anwar Ibrahim on the 13th Malaysia Plan: A blueprint for sustainable & equal development

The five-year roadmap focuses on reforms in education, healthcare, housing, and more, with the overall goal to uplift communities, enhance economic competitiveness, and future-proof the nation.

On 1 August 2025 (Friday), Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim unveiled the 13^th Malaysia Plan (RMK13) — a five-year roadmap from 2026 to 2031 aimed at driving sustainable and equitable development for all Malaysians. 

Speaking at the Dewan Rakyat, the Prime Minister emphasised six key focus areas under RMK13: 

• Education 
• Cost of living  
• Health  
• Housing 
• Risk management  
• Farming  

Here are further details that Prime Minister Anwar shared in the session and a series of accompanying Facebook posts:

Education

RMK13 aims to bring major reforms in education with an allocation of RM67bn to build and upgrade schools, including preschools in rural areas. 

• School construction was also made a condition for large-scale housing projects, while vertical schools were expanded to address overcrowding issues. 
• The government made preschool compulsory at the age of five and strengthened the education system to meet international standards. 
• Emphasis was placed on: 
  • STEM 
  • AI basics 
  • Language proficiency 
  • Transparent and effective teacher training and selection 

Further, TVET MADANI has been re-strategised to meet the needs of high-tech industries. 

• The government is targeting 1.2mn new job opportunities in the manufacturing sector and digital economy. 
• Financing and training schemes have been introduced to encourage youth participation. 
• In 2024 alone, 212,000 new students would have enrolled in TVET programs, including tahfiz and huffaz students. 
• The TVET certification will also be upgraded to the equivalent of higher education qualifications. 

Cost of living

The RMK13 outlines a two-pronged strategy to address the cost of living — aiming to curb price increases and ensure a decent income and access to basic needs such as food, education, health, and housing. 

• Initiatives that reduce the burden on the poor and needy will continue to be implemented and intensified to ease the burden on the people. 
• The 13^th RMK also extends assistance to students through 17 forms of support, including RMT and school scholarships. 
• The burden of utility bills will be reduced through new tariffs, while the Rahmah Package for internet and insurance, as well as public transport and flight subsidies, remains in place.

Health

Health reform is a key focus of the RMK13, with an allocation of RM40bn to expand access to quality treatment. 

• The government will expand pro-health taxes to include tobacco, vaping, and alcohol, and will encourage local production of medicines to ensure supply. 
• Government hospitals and clinics will be upgraded, including in Seremban, Johor Bahru, Sabah, and Sarawak. 
• Professional development of health workers will be strengthened, while the digital health system will be improved with AI technology to improve the quality of care for the people. 

Housing

The RMK13 sets a target of building 1mn affordable houses for the period 2026–2035 to ensure that more people have comfortable and quality homes, thus addressing the issue of house prices that do not match the people's income. 

• The Housing Credit Guarantee Scheme and Rent-to-Buy (RTO) Scheme will be expanded. 
• Modern construction technology will be utilised to speed up construction and reduce costs.

Risk management 

RMK13 will strengthen disaster preparedness by incorporating risk management into urban planning and introducing AI-powered early warning systems. 

• A total of 103 flood mitigation projects, worth over RM20bn, will be implemented across key states including Selangor, Kelantan, Johor, and Sarawak to protect vulnerable communities.

Farming

To reduce dependency on imported food, RMK13 will prioritise large-scale agriculture in Kelantan, Pahang, Terengganu, Sabah, and Sarawak. 

• The five-season rice programme will be accelerated in Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan, Selangor, Perak, Penang, and Sarawak. 
• Modern technologies, satellite farming, and the involvement of young agropreneurs will be key in transforming agriculture into a new economic engine that supports food security and job creation. 

Other notable highlights

• Infrastructure development
  • RMK13 promotes large-scale infrastructure projects as drivers of regional progress. Iconic projects such as East Coast Rail Link, LRT Mutiara Pulau Pinang, Elevated Autonomous Rapid Transit (E-ART) Johor, and Pan-Borneo Highway will enhance people’s connectivity while boosting local development. 

• Public transportation
  • More than 2,800 km of rural roads will be upgraded. 
  • An additional 1,200 buses, 300 DRT vans, and 217 new trains will be introduced. 
  • The road-to-rail initiative aims to double rail usage and reduce traffic congestion and accidents. 

• Poverty eradication 
  • RMK13 seeks to maintain a strong commitment to eradicating poverty holistically — not just through income or purchasing power, but also by building opportunities, empowering communities, and enhancing social mobility regardless of race, religion, or region. 
• The SejaTi MADANI Programme will provide funds of up to RM100,000 to selected communities to boost local economies.
  • This initiative is built on the aspirations of the people, driven by the people, and for the benefit of the people. 
• International relations
  • Prime Minister Anwar also shared that during a discussion with President Trump, the latter appreciated Malaysia’s role as a facilitator in resolving the Thailand-Cambodia conflict, recognising the country’s diplomatic strength and ASEAN leadership. 
  • They also discussed the tariff issue, which subsequently resulted in the US lowering its tariff on Malaysian exports from 25% to 19%.

Lead image / PM Anwar Ibrahim's Facebook