Autistic student denied by UPU to be enrolled in public uni, says Zambry

PARLIAMENT | The Higher Education Ministry today gave its guarantee that a student who was allegedly denied from applying for public universities due to his autism recently would be enrolled in a public university.

Its minister Zambry Abdul Kadir told the Dewan Rakyat this morning he has ordered an investigation into the incident and that they are looking into the student's application.

"The disabled student's case is being handled, and insya Allah we will make sure that he can further his studies into one of the universities.

"I was informed that the International Islamic University Malaysia is also looking into this case, and whether the student can be enrolled there. I think it is one of his choices," he said during the Minister's Question Time.

The senator was responding to a supplementary question posed by Khoo Poay Tiong (Harapan-Kota Melaka), who sought an explanation on the student's case and how the ministry plans to assist disabled students who excel in academics to enrol in universities.

Zambry stressed that the government holds a policy that no person who has the academic eligibility shall be discriminated against from enrolling in public universities.

Last week, a Facebook user highlighted the case of a student known only as Aniq, who was allegedly denied from applying for public universities by the Central University Admission Unit (UPU) system.

This was despite him having scored a matriculation CGPA of 3.83 and having met general and special programme requirements.

On this, Zambry explained that when a person with disabilities applies to a university, the respective institutions require further information on the type of disability.

This is so that they can accommodate accordingly, he added.

UTM student’s case

Regarding the case of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia student Syamsul Haris Samsudin, who died during a Reserve Officers Training Unit (Rotu) exercise in Ulu Tiram, Johor, last month, Zambry said he has spoken to the Attorney-General's Chambers.

This followed the victim's mother's request for authorities to conduct a second post-mortem on Syamsul's body and investigate further the circumstances surrounding his death.

Zambry said he expected that the outcome of an investigation by a special task force involving the Defence Ministry, Home Ministry, and Health Ministry, and a decision on the mother's application, would be known soon.

Zambry said this in response to a question by Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden (PN-Alor Setar).

Reporting by Hariz Mohd, Haspaizi Zain, Qistina Nadia Dzulqarnain

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