23/01/2026

FRIDAY | JAN 23, 2026

3 ‘Year One at age six only for those who are ready’

Govt reviews X licensing after Grok misuse

PETALING JAYA: The government may reassess the eight-million-user threshold that currently exempts social media platform X from licensing requirements in Malaysia, following repeated misuse of its artificial intelligence application, Grok. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said online harm does not cease simply because a platform has fewer than eight million users. Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, he said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has recorded 17 complaints linked to Grok, comprising six formal complaints, two police reports, eight complaints flagged via social media and one initial First Information Report opened by MCMC. Fahmi said MCMC is examining the hybrid nature of platform X and Grok to ensure harmful content can be addressed comprehensively. During a meeting with X representatives on Wednesday, the company confirmed that tighter controls had been imposed on Grok’s image and video features, preventing misuse to generate or edit pornographic, sexual or incest-related content. “I have requested formal confirmation of the measures taken so MCMC can assess their effectiveness and determine appropriate regulatory action,” he said, adding that the steps are necessary to protect Malaysians, especially children and vulnerable groups, and align with Malaysian laws, the Rukun Negara and international practices. MCMC temporarily blocked access to Grok on Jan 11 after repeated misuse. Fahmi said the restriction is not permanent and may be lifted if safeguards are verified through testing. MCMC is also considering potential legal action against X for non compliance with online safety regulations. Meanwhile, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Big Data research fellow Dr Siti Salina Saidin cautioned that risks of AI misuse remain despite new restrictions. She said experienced users can bypass safeguards through prompt manipulation, tool chaining or open source models without built-in guardrails. She defended the government’s move, saying generative AI is not morally neutral and that early intervention is a form of risk containment, not a rejection of innovation. Ű BY QIRANA NABILLA MOHD RASHIDI AND FAIZ RUZMAN newsdesk@thesundaily.com

Ű BY QIRANA NABILLA MOHD RASHIDI newsdesk@thesundaily.com

strictly optional and will not be rushed. Early entry will be based on diagnostic screening results and parents’ choice and only children who have attended preschool at age five (4+) and pass the assessment will be eligible. Admission into Year One at age seven remains the standard pathway and most students are expected to follow it. Students entering Year One early will not repeat the grade or extend their schooling. The 2027 curriculum will maintain foundational learning in literacy, numeracy and core skills, with lessons adapted to students’ cognitive development. The ministry also stressed that preparations are being carried out in phases and not rushed. –By Qirana Nabilla Mohd Rashidi experience overflow under the policy. “Development divisions are ready to carry out related projects, including the construction of extra classrooms.” She also clarified that children can start Year One at age seven, while starting at six is voluntary and only for those who are cognitively and emotionally ready, based on a diagnostic assessment. “Regardless of their starting age, all students will complete six years of primary education followed by five years of secondary education, with enrollment phased and carefully managed.” Fadhlina said the 2027 curriculum will prioritise foundational skills, including literacy, numeracy and learning abilities – all adapted to students’ cognitive levels. She added that schools will continue to monitor student development and provide support where necessary while the ministry prepares infrastructure for next year’s intake. “The early admission of six-year old children into Year One starting from the 2027 school session focuses on student welfare and readiness, not academic competition. “This is not about racing ahead. Children are not for tests or laboratory experiments. Our focus is on the policy that has been discussed in the 13th Malaysia Plan,” she said, adding that the measure was not rushed, as extensive consultations and engagements had already been conducted at the grassroots level. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced, during the launch of the National Education Plan 2026– 2035, that Malaysian children will begin pre-school at age five and enter Year One at age six starting next year. However, he emphasised that the policy will not be compulsory in its first year, allowing parents the option to delay their child’s entry if they feel they are not ready.

o Parents have option as policy focuses on child welfare, not academic competition: Education minister

PETALING Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek has assured that the early enrolment of six-year olds into Year One will be carefully planned and implemented with thorough preparation and a comprehensive strategy. She said the process will focus on children who are willing participants and will include diagnostic testing to assess cognitive and emotional readiness, alongside psychosocial support. “Infrastructure readiness is also JAYA:

being prioritised to ensure schools are equipped for the intake. Parents’ concerns are valid. Questions about whether there are enough classrooms or teachers are important and we are addressing them,” she told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday. Fadhlina added that teacher projections with the School

Planning and Placement will be implemented and Contract of Service (COS) teachers and preparatory teachers will be deployed proactively to meet demand. “The ministry has mapped anticipated demand across states and identified schools that may require additional support or

Fadhlina said the early enrolment initiative of six-year-olds into Year One will focus on children who are willing participants and will include diagnostic testing to assess cognitive and emotional readiness. – AMIRUL SYAFIQ/THESUN

Diagnostic tests for young children unfair: Educationist PETALING JAYA: Diagnostic or screening tests to determine whether children as young as five or six can enter school are unfair and violate the principles of public education, said an educationist. favour children from high-SES (affluent) families. What about children from very poor families?” Anuar stressed that implementing diagnostic or screening tests, which are actually eligibility tests, is unfair to children aged five. the basic educational rights of all children who have reached the age eligible for school enrollment.”

whether they can enter Year One based on the 3Rs (reading, writing and arithmetic) is inappropriate, as these children have not yet begun formal education and their foundational skills should not be measured at this stage. “Based on emotional stability? Children who will take the test are only five years old. No child development theory can confirm that five-year-olds possess emotional stability. “Based on cognitive ability or thinking skills? At age five, children’s cognitive development is still in the early stages. Their thinking is still concrete and their abilities are strongly influenced by family background, parents’ education and access to resources like gadgets, the internet and books. “Clearly, such eligibility tests would

On Wednesday, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek announced that starting in 2027, children aged six (5+) may enter Year 1 a year early under a new optional scheme, provided they pass a diagnostic assessment. This is part of the Malaysia Education Plan (2026–2035), which allows parents to enrol children who are ready for primary education sooner than the standard entry age of seven. Fadhlina said the initiative is not new and has been adopted in other countries to help children enter the workforce earlier and address challenges of an ageing population. She emphasised that the policy is

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Institute for Inclusive Development and Advancement Malaysia (Minda) deputy director Dr Anuar Ahmad said diagnostic or screening tests are only meant to identify students’ needs, not to discriminate against them. “In fact, the term ‘diagnostic test’ is inaccurate in this context. What is actually being referred to here is a selection test that functions as a discriminatory sorting practice.” Anuar also questioned the logic of testing children as young as five for school eligibility, saying that assessing

“Public education must be inclusive and cannot, under any circumstances, be exclusive.” He said denying six-year-old children the right to enter school while some others are allowed to enrol contradicts the principles of educational justice, increases educational gaps and disregards the National Education Philosophy. “This is a serious violation of the principles of equitable access to education and efforts to close the educational gap. It is, in fact, a denial of