KUALA LUMPUR, Dec. 31 -- For many Malaysian parents, the idea of preparing their children for the future has never felt more urgent. The world of work is shifting quickly, and the careers that once seemed stable are being reshaped by automation and artificial intelligence. A July 2025 report by ISIS Malaysia and the World Bank estimates that 4.2 million Malaysian workers, close to 28 per cent of the labour force, are highly exposed to task substitution by generative AI. Another 2.5 million fall into medium-high exposure. That means nearly 45 per cent of the workforce has at least 40 per cent of their tasks potentially automatable.

It is a wake-up call that has changed how families think about education. A degree is still important, but t...