A disabled pharmacy graduate from Sabah had her Ministry of Health (MOH) placement temporarily put on hold just days before she was scheduled to begin her graduate training, after she was informed that her OKU status needed to be reviewed.
The matter was shared by Sepanggar MP Mustapha Sakmud on his Facebook page, where he highlighted Sophie’s journey and her efforts to seek clarity over her placement.
Overcame challenges to pursue her pharmacy dream
According to Mustapha’s post, Sophie never sought special treatment because of her disability.
Born as a person with a disability, Sophie grew up like any other child and worked hard to pursue her education despite the limitations often placed on persons with disabilities.
Her efforts paid off when she achieved 8As in her SPM examinations. With the help of a scholarship, Sophie later travelled to Sydney to pursue a degree in Pharmacy.
After five years, Sophie successfully completed her studies with excellent results and returned to Malaysia with the hope of serving the country as a pharmacist.
Placement delayed before graduate training begins
On May 11, 2026, Sophie received an offer for Graduate Pharmacist Training under the Ministry of Health.
However, several days before she was scheduled to begin her training, Sophie was informed that her placement had been temporarily postponed as authorities wanted to reassess her OKU status.
According to Mustapha, the situation left Sophie confused as her placement status remained uncertain as she was neither rejected nor accepted.
Seeking further clarification, Sophie travelled from Sabah to Putrajaya, where she was informed that the matter could only be handled through phone calls.
According to Mustapha, what affected Sophie most was not the delay itself, but the feeling that her abilities were being questioned due to her disability.
Mustapha said Sophie had already proven her capabilities through her achievements, including studying overseas independently, driving, communicating well, and carrying out her responsibilities like anyone else.
Mustapha said Sophie and her uncle later met him to share their concerns and he then brought Sophie’s placement letter to Putrajaya and requested that a decision be made quickly regarding her placement.
Not long after, a confirmation letter was issued to confirm Sophie’s placement status.
Began training in KL before returning to Sabah
On July 13, Sophie began a week of training in Kuala Lumpur before officially reporting for duty at a hospital in Sabah a week later.
According to Mustapha’s post, Sophie’s position comes with a salary of around RM3,500 per month.
For Sophie, the placement represents an opportunity to serve and prove that a person’s ability should not be determined by their physical condition.
Her message remains simple: she only wants the chance to serve Sabah.
Here is the post:
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