It hurts when your child is rejected for something beyond their control. It hurts even more when they did everything right.
That’s the pain one Malaysian father shared publicly, after his son, an autistic student with a brilliant academic record, was denied the opportunity to chase his dream.
A bright student with clear dreams
Aniq, a student diagnosed with autism and a registered OKU (Orang Kurang Upaya / person with disabilities) under the Learning category, had recently completed his matriculation with an impressive CGPA of 3.83.
According to his father, Aniq had fulfilled both the general and specific requirements for the programmes he applied to.
Among his top choices were competitive and intellectually demanding courses in Computer Science, Mathematical Sciences, and Statistics all at two of Malaysia’s most prestigious institutions: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).
“Aniq knows exactly where he wants to go. He’s ready,” the father wrote.
Suddenly, all his choices disappeared
However, things took a turn when Phase 3 of the UPU (centralised university admissions system) opened all of Aniq’s chosen programmes were no longer available to him.
No more UKM. No more UPM. No more fields he has worked so hard for,” the post read.
Perplexed and concerned, the family reached out to the UPU through email. When they finally received a reply, the reason given for the rejection was devastating: Aniq’s status as an OKU (Autism) student.
‘What logic is this?’
The father expressed deep disappointment and questioned the rationale behind denying a highly capable student his rightful opportunity simply because of his disability label.
What logic is there in denying this child an opportunity, simply because of his OKU status… when academically, he is more than qualified?”
He went on to question the larger systemic issue: whether Malaysia’s higher education system still perceives students with disabilities as burdens rather than individuals with potential.
“Is Aniq’s intelligence being judged by his label, instead of his actual abilities?” he wrote.
A call for policy change
In his heartfelt plea, the father urged the UPU to revisit its policies regarding students with disabilities and make inclusivity a top priority.
Don’t punish them just because their way of learning is different. Don’t limit their future simply because the system isn’t inclusive enough.”
He ended his post with a powerful statement, not asking for sympathy, but for justice.
“This isn’t just about Aniq. It’s about every OKU child out there who’s quietly fighting their own battles.”
Read the post here:
