KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said the proposal to raise the retirement age to 65 requires careful study before it can be presented to the Cabinet.

The suggestion, made by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, was put forward in her personal capacity, citing the concept of “active ageing.”

However, Anwar clarified that the matter has not been raised or discussed in Cabinet meetings.

When asked about his views on the proposal, Anwar said: “Let them (the ministry) study it first.”

“Usually, the suggestion needs to be discussed before it is presented at the Cabinet meeting. There are a lot of implications involved in the proposal, such as the financial cost and new job opportunities.

“The idea deserves attention and consideration, but let the agencies involved discuss it first,” he told reporters after launching the Hadiah Bahasa 2025 award at Hilton Kuala Lumpur today.

Since 2012, the mandatory retirement age for civil servants has been set at 60 years. This is also the minimum retirement age for private sector employees under the Minimum Retirement Age Act 2012.