PETALING JAYA: A student with autism who was reportedly denied the opportunity to apply to a public university will still be offered a place at a public higher education institution, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.
He said he has ordered an investigation into the case, which will be resolved soon.
“We will ensure he can study at one of the public universities he applied to. Most recently, I was informed that the International Islamic University Malaysia is also reviewing the case to see if he can be placed there. I believe that is one of his preferred universities,” he said at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
Zambry was responding to Kota Melaka MP Khoo Poay Tiong, who had asked about the ministry’s efforts to assist outstanding students with disabilities to gain entry into public universities.
A mental health advocacy group recently raised concerns over the case of a student, Aniq, who was reportedly blocked from applying to a public university due to his autism diagnosis. Aniq, who earned a matriculation GPA of 3.83 and met both general and programme-specific entry requirements, had submitted his preferred courses through the University Central Unit system during the second phase of the application process. However, his selections later disappeared in a subsequent stage.
Zambry emphasised that a qualified applicant should not face discrimination when seeking admission into public universities.
He explained that institutions typically require verification of the applicant’s disability type to ensure appropriate accommodations can be provided based on available resources.
“The issue that arose was that he applied under the person with disability category and some universities wanted to know the specific type of disability so that accommodations can be made based on his condition.”
