Malaysia aims to train 125,000 professional huffaz by 2050 through TVET integration

At a graduation ceremony in Melaka, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi outlined a national goal of creating 125,000 professional huffaz by 2050. The strategy ties Quranic memorisation to technical and vocational education, expanding opportunities at Universiti Kuala Lumpur and six Malaysian Technical Universities Network institutions starting in 2027. To date, 12,500 huffaz have been produced.

Zahid emphasized clearer routes from tahfiz and pondok schools into TVET, higher education and professional careers, discouraging the notion of a single life path for these students. Partnerships with Majlis Amanah Rakyat, GiatMara, UniKL and industry aim to offer training in AI, robotics and the digital economy. The initiative seeks to preserve religious identity while equipping graduates with skills for the country’s future workforce. Zahid also expressed a wish for a future prime minister who is an al-Hafiz.