SEPANG, March 12 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged the Education Ministry and Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) to ensure that students enrolling in boarding schools prioritise science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

He said this initiative should begin this year.

“I have asked the Education Ministry and MARA to ensure that more students enrolling in boarding schools take up STEM.

“Now we have Infineon Technologies and Google, but our children are not pursuing STEM.

“Starting this year, at least 70 per cent of students entering boarding schools must choose STEM, while the remaining 30 per cent can pursue Arts and Social Sciences,” Anwar said at an Iftar event with government-linked companies (GLCs) here today.

Separately, Anwar called on GLCs to commit to adopting schools that require upgrades.

“I have suggested that this year, GLCs adopt schools in isolated areas, villages, interiors, or in Sabah and Sarawak. I have asked the Treasury Secretary-General to work with the Education Ministry to identify at least 200 schools for this initiative,” he said.

The improvements will include upgrading facilities such as dilapidated toilets.

Addressing recent racial tensions, Anwar warned of stern action against those stoking racial sentiments.

“From now on, anyone who raises the rhetoric of racial sentiment—whether among majority or minority races, the rich or the poor—will face strong action to curb this issue,” he said.