KUALA LUMPUR: The government will study the proposal to increase the retirement age to 65 before it is brought to the Cabinet for further deliberation, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Speaking after launching the Hadiah Bahasa Public Bank – Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) 2025 event yesterday, Anwar clarified that the matter has not yet been raised or discussed in Cabinet meetings.
“Let the ministry study the implications first,” he said, noting that the proposal carries multiple considerations, including financial costs and job creation.
“The idea deserves attention and consideration but let the relevant agencies discuss it first,” he added.
The push for raising the retirement age was recently advocated by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reforms), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said. She argued that many Malaysians remain healthy and productive well into their 60s, citing judges who retire at 65 and other ASEAN nations where the retirement age can go up to 70.
Currently, the mandatory retirement age for Malaysian civil servants is 60, which is also the minimum retirement age for private sector employees under the Minimum Retirement Age Act 2012.
When asked about the potential extension of tenure for three senior judges — Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, Court of Appeal President Tan Sri Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim, and Federal Court Judge Tan Sri Nallini Pathmanathan — Anwar said briefly, “We’re looking at it.”
Tengku Maimun had earlier confirmed that all three were still awaiting a decision regarding their extensions.
On a separate note, Anwar reminded Malaysians of the vital role the national language plays in the country’s development journey. He stressed that a developed nation must not neglect its cultural identity, including language, arts, and heritage.
“It would be a grave mistake if the Madani government pursued development without giving due importance to the national language,” Anwar said.
He urged the Education and Higher Education Ministries to uphold the importance of Bahasa Melayu, even as pressure mounts to prioritise foreign languages in education.
The Hadiah Bahasa award, revived after a 27-year hiatus, aims to encourage quality literary and academic output in Bahasa Melayu. First introduced in 1984 and last awarded in 1998, the initiative returns this year with support from DBP and Public Bank — a revival inspired by a request from Anwar, who once served as patron of the Linguistic Society of Malaysia.
