KUALA LUMPUR – The government will reconsider the entry requirements for special needs students in the country’s Technical Education and Vocational Training (TVET) programmes.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that this initiative was aimed at facilitating the inclusion of the group in TVET programmes, while taking their unique abilities into account.
Expressing his commitment to address this issue, Anwar said that he will raise the matter with the Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who serves as the National TVET Council (MTVET) chairman.
“While Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid chairs the TVET Council, I will convey to him that although we’re introducing flexibility for disabled individuals, we should not impose conditions like requiring two hands. The criteria should be based on their abilities,” he explained.
“God willing, this can be done, and I believe there won’t be any complications.”
Anwar was responding to a query from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) alumni, Ruzimi Mohamed, during a Q&A session at the Johor Baru Temu Anwar event held on campus this afternoon.
Ruzimi highlighted the challenges faced by students with disabilities when applying for TVET programmes – citing the requirement for both hands as an obstacle, despite the fact that some disabled individuals are capable of drawing and writing with their feet and mouths.
“I acknowledge that certain TVET programmes may not be suitable for students with disabilities, but there needs to be a new mechanism in place to evaluate the entry requirements for disabled students based on their abilities,” Ruzimi said.
Furthermore, when Ruzimi mentioned that only four ministries have met the quota for hiring disabled individuals thus far, Anwar pledged to raise the issue of a 1% job quota for people with disabilities within ministries and government agencies during cabinet meetings.
“I concur – I will present the matter of employment quotas for disabled individuals to the cabinet and ensure that all government agencies and ministries adhere to the 1% quota for hiring employees with disabilities,” Anwar said. – September 3, 2023