Abstract

In Malaysia, Tahfiz institutions have traditionally focused on Quranic memorization and religious teaching, serving an important role in Islamic education. However, as the nation moves toward becoming a high-income and knowledge-based country, under initiatives such as the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030 and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Empowerment Agenda, there is growing concern about the employability and socio-economic integration of Tahfiz graduates. Many of these graduates lack market-oriented skills and technical competencies, limiting their contribution to national development and often resulting in underemployment. The Malaysian Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in October 2023 announced that RM17 million had been allocated to implement this program optimistically. The great emphasis on this national agenda is evident as a huge amount of finances is allotted, as presented in the 2018 Budget. This paper aims (i) to explore the roles of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Framework in enhancing the integration of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) into Tahfiz institutions in Malaysia and (ii) to identify the significant influence the inter-agency plays in supporting policy development and implementation in the Tahfiz-TVET sector. This conceptual paper employs literature review through secondary material as the methodology - identifying literature which highlighted on main themes or concepts of ‘TVET’, Tahfiz, Sustainability, and ‘Open Government Partnership’ in the title of article in all journal databases.  This study revealed that addressing these gaps is essential to ensure that Tahfiz graduates are equipped not only with religious knowledge but also with the technical skills necessary to thrive in a modern, knowledge-based economy, namely: welding, air-conditioning, digital media literacy, automotive skills, furniture-making, interior design, fashion design, and electrical skills. Indeed, this new economic endeavour by the Malaysian government has empowered Tahfiz and their students, who have high spirituality, to jointly move the national agenda towards achieving an industrialized state through Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0). This study also highlighted the pertinent collaborative roles of various ministries, agencies, and entities to materialize this vision. Apparently, the aforementioned framework explains well the important roles government plays in making such changes and impacts.