
Ministry guarantees university place for disabled student with straight As
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said the case involved an outstanding science-stream student whose application for engineering courses was blocked due to his physical condition.
'I was informed by Yang Berhormat (Dr Wee) about this student recognised as an OKU. The university evaluation had rejected him, despite his full straight As.
He deserves to go to university,' Dr Zambry said in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (Aug 19).
He acknowledged that the rejection was due to the institution lacking necessary facilities.
However, Dr Zambry said that such reasons are unacceptable and pledged policy changes to make public universities more inclusive for persons with disabilities.
'We cannot allow excuses like 'we do not have the facilities'. We must change university policies to ensure greater inclusivity for OKU students.
Therefore, I wish to inform Yang Berhormat that this student, who scored full As, will, God willing, be given a place,' he added.
Dr Wee, who is also Ayer Itam MP, had earlier highlighted the case of Lim Chin Hong, a high-achieving student who lost his right leg due to a medical condition but excelled academically and achieved a 4.0 CGPA in STPM 2024.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
New Early Childhood Education Act announced by Fadhlina Sidek
KUALA LUMPUR: A new act on early childhood education will be introduced to ensure comprehensive and effective regulation, said Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek. She said it is among the education reform strategies outlined under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) aimed at strengthening governance in the country's education system. Governance at all levels of learning from preschool, primary, secondary and up to pre-university will be strengthened to enhance the effectiveness of service delivery more comprehensively, she said during her winding-up speech on the 13MP for the Ministry of Education (MOE) in the Dewan Rakyat today. She added that MOE will also introduce the 2026 Preschool Curriculum, based on the 2027 School Curriculum Framework, emphasising character building, self-confidence, love, and resilience through age-appropriate experiential learning. In line with this, the national preschool curriculum will be made mandatory for all early childhood education institutions, with emphasis on human dignity values, character formation, critical thinking and life skills, she said. To achieve this, enforcement of the Education Act 1996 will be strengthened, she said. Meanwhile, Fadhlina said MOE remains committed to maintaining the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) as an internationally recognised pre-university qualification. With about 50,000 to 55,000 enrolments annually, various measures are being and will continue to be implemented to attract SPM graduates, particularly through the Form Six Education Roadmap 2024-2030, she said. The roadmap focuses on five key areas - image branding, infrastructure enhancement, administrative improvements, more flexible teaching and learning, and a curriculum benchmarked against international standards such as A-Levels. - Bernama

Barnama
a day ago
- Barnama
New Early Childhood Education Act On The Way
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 (Bernama) -- A new act on early childhood education will be introduced to ensure comprehensive and effective regulation, said Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek. She said it is among the education reform strategies outlined under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) aimed at strengthening governance in the country's education system. 'Governance at all levels of learning from preschool, primary, secondary and up to pre-university will be strengthened to enhance the effectiveness of service delivery more comprehensively,' she said during her winding-up speech on the 13MP for the Ministry of Education (MOE) in the Dewan Rakyat today. She added that MOE will also introduce the 2026 Preschool Curriculum, based on the 2027 School Curriculum Framework, emphasising character building, self-confidence, love, and resilience through age-appropriate experiential learning. 'In line with this, the national preschool curriculum will be made mandatory for all early childhood education institutions, with emphasis on human dignity values, character formation, critical thinking and life skills,' she said. 'To achieve this, enforcement of the Education Act 1996 will be strengthened,' she said. Meanwhile, Fadhlina said MOE remains committed to maintaining the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) as an internationally recognised pre-university qualification. 'With about 50,000 to 55,000 enrolments annually, various measures are being and will continue to be implemented to attract SPM graduates, particularly through the Form Six Education Roadmap 2024-2030,' she said. The roadmap focuses on five key areas - image branding, infrastructure enhancement, administrative improvements, more flexible teaching and learning, and a curriculum benchmarked against international standards such as A-Levels.


The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Disabled STPM top scorer has received multiple full scholarship offers, says Dr Wee
PETALING JAYA: The story of STPM top scorer Lim Chin Hong, who overcame personal challenges to achieve a perfect CGPA of 4.0, has sparked overwhelming support from universities and a philanthropist, offering him full scholarships. MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong ( pic ) said Lim's perseverance had inspired many, with several institutions quickly stepping forward to open doors for his future. "After I highlighted his journey, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) and Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) were the very first to offer him a place in his preferred course with full scholarship," he said in a Facebook post on Wednesday (Aug 20). Dr Wee said Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU) and UCSI University later made similar offers, while another organisation and a Singaporean philanthropist pledged to cover his education expenses in full. He added that UCSI University also extended a full scholarship to another high-achieving student, Aniq, who is autistic and scored a CGPA of 3.83. ALSO READ: Dr Wee shares story of physically challenged student denied university entrance, urges govt review discrimination policy "I am deeply grateful to all these universities and organisations for their kindness. Some had asked why I did not secure him a place in UTAR and TAR UMT, the two institutions founded by MCA. The fact is, they were among the first to make the offer," he said. Dr Wee explained that Lim had always aspired to study at a public university, a choice that must be respected. He also expressed his appreciation to Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, who assured that Lim would be given a place in a course of his choice at a public university. "I will personally convey every offer to his family and let him decide which path he wishes to take. What matters most is that he now has the opportunity and support to pursue his dream, all thanks to the compassion and kindness of so many Malaysians," Dr Wee said. ALSO READ: 'He will be given a place' Zambry had assured in Parliament that Lim, a high-achiever who lost his right leg due to a medical condition called hemangiona, would be considered for engineering programmes offered in public universities. Lim, a student from SMK Yong Peng who achieved a 4.0 CGPA in STPM 2024, was earlier denied the choice for engineering programmes on account of his disability. Zambry said he acknowledged while the rejection was based on reasons such as the institution lacking the necessary facilities, he admitted that such grounds were unacceptable and pledged policy changes to make public universities more inclusive. "We must change university policies to ensure greater inclusivity for OKU students. "Therefore, I wish to inform Yang Berhormat that this student, who scored full As, will be given a place," he added. Dr Wee highlighted Lim's plight after the science stream student discovered that all engineering courses were removed from his public university application due to his disability. Dr Wee questioned the broader admissions policy, citing the case of Aniq who scored a CGPA of 3.8, but was also unable to select preferred programmes. He stressed that government policies must not discriminate against persons with disabilities and urged the Higher Education Ministry to review policies to ensure equal opportunities for them. Zambry also said last week that Aniq's case would be resolved soon.