KUALA LUMPUR, May 15, 2026 — Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim chaired a special high-level meeting with senior MARA management today, focusing on enhancing the agency’s role as a core institution for empowering Bumiputera youth, students, skilled workers, and entrepreneurs.
Senior Political Advisor to the Prime Minister, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, who attended the meeting, highlighted the importance of MARA’s continued relevance in a rapidly changing world.
“Many of us grew up with the name MARA. Some continued their studies through MARA, built careers through MARA, and Bumiputera entrepreneurs took their first steps with MARA’s support,” Tengku Zafrul said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
The meeting emphasised expanding MARA’s scope beyond traditional education to include Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), employability skills, entrepreneurship, and emerging high-growth sectors such as digital technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), renewable energy, and high-value industries.
This initiative aligns with the MADANI government’s commitment to strengthening education, skills development, and the people’s economy for a brighter national future. It builds on earlier directives, including plans to revise the MARA Act to improve governance while maintaining the institution’s core mission.
MARA, established in 1966, has played a pivotal role in Bumiputera development through education sponsorships, entrepreneurial programmes, and economic participation initiatives. The Prime Minister has reiterated that MARA must evolve to increase Bumiputera participation, ownership, and control in the national economy in line with current and future needs.
The government is expected to continue supporting transformative programmes that benefit millions of Bumiputera while adapting to global economic shifts.
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