A Malaysian student was allegedly disallowed from applying for public university courses and programmes despite having a matriculation CGPA of 3.83, reportedly due to his autism.
Content creator and activist, SA Z LY, took to his Facebook page to share his son’s plight, after the University Central Unit (UPU) under the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), which coordinates the admission of students to public universities, had allegedly removed all of his options upon discovering that he has autism.
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SA Z LY wrote, “The second phase of UPU applications. Aniq is a special child, an OKU cardholder under the Learning Disability category (Autism). He is a student who isn’t a slouch. His matriculation CGPA is 3.83. The general requirements? He passed it. The special requirements for programmes? He passed that, too.”
“He picked with confidence. His dream industries. Computer Science, Mathematical Science, Statistics at UKM and UPM. Fields that require a critical mind. Aniq knew where he wanted to go. He was ready. But when phase 3 opened, all his options disappeared. No more UKM. No more UPM. No more fields that he worked so hard for.”
Wondering what happened, they contacted UPU
They sent an email to UPU requesting an explanation as to why Aniq’s options had been revoked, and the response they received was not what they expected.
It turns out that his options were allegedly removed due to him having an OKU card for his autism.
“The reason? It’s because Aniq is an OKU student with autism. Why? What is the logic of denying opportunities to this child, solely because of his OKU status, when academically, he is more than qualified?”
Based on a screenshot shared by Aniq, UPU’s response read, “After conducting a review, BKPA (Higher Education Institution Student Admission Division) has found that the candidate is an OKU cardholder under the Learning category for Autism.”
Despite his qualifications
SA Z LY went on to share his disappointment over the decision made, considering his son’s potential.
“Is the system today still seeing OKU people as burdens, and not by their potential? Is Aniq’s intelligence judged solely by labels and not his actual abilities?”
“I humbly but firmly request that UPU review its eligibility policy for OKU students. Don’t punish them because they have different learning methods. Don’t limit their futures just because the system isn’t inclusive. We are not asking for sympathy. We’re demanding justice. For Aniq and for all the OKU children who are fighting in silence,” he added.
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