He said large parts of the two states remained rural and remote, with many communities still lacking proper roads, reliable bus or boat services, and in some cases a primary school within safe and reasonable reach.

“Children are often forced to travel long distances through rivers, forests and dangerous terrain just to attend school,” he said in a statement today.

Given such conditions, Peter said enforcing Year 1 entry at the age of six raised serious safety concerns for young children in rural and interior areas.

He said the federal government must first repair, upgrade and fully equip rural schools, including with safety infrastructure, hostels, transport and teaching resources before implementing the policy in Sabah and Sarawak.

Peter also said any national education policy which ignored the realities of Sabah and Sarawak went against the spirit and intent of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), which guarantees both states autonomy and flexibility in education matters.

“Education reform cannot be imposed through a centralised, one-size-fits-all approach. Sabah and Sarawak do not reject education reform. What is rejected is reform that ignores regional realities, child safety and MA63 rights,” he said.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim confirmed on Tuesday that preschool education would begin at age five, while Year 1 would begin at age six, starting next year.

However, he said, parents were not obliged to enrol their children at age five if they believed they were not ready.