KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 11 -- As Malaysia continues to invest heavily in the education sector, educators say there is an urgent need to shift focus from infrastructure spending to empowering teachers who drive the system.

Professor Wan Chang Da from the School of Education, Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management at Taylor's University said there has not been enough emphasis on teacher training and initiatives to improve the overall learning process.

He noted that most of next year's education budget remains directed towards emoluments, operations and infrastructure.

"There is a need to invest in training and diversifying professional development for teachers to enable differentiated teaching in classrooms.

"This would also inclu...