JOHOR BARU: The unity government will reconsider the entry requirements for students with disabilities (OKU) in the Technical Education and Vocational Training (TVET) programme.
Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the move was to facilitate the entry of individuals from the concerned group into TVET.
The issue was brought to his attention during the Dialogue and Session with Students and Educators, who were handicapped.
Anwar said he would bring all issued shared during the dialogue to the attention of the relevant ministers to cut red tape.
'The revision of the entry requirements will be communicated to the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also the Chairman of the National TVET Council Committee.
"I am sorry I am not aware of this matter (entry condition)," Anwar apologised.
"To ensure that all government agencies and ministries ensure recruitment... yes, we must review that," he added.
"The TVET Council is chaired by Ahmad Zahid, I will tell him that although there is relaxation for the disabled, but do not impose conditions such as (having) two hands. The conditions include those who have disabilities.
"This is possible, we can provide the needed space to review TVET conditions for disabled students... I think there is no problem," he said.
Anwar said this while answering a question from UTM Alumni, Dr Ruzimi Mohamed at the Johor Baru Meet Anwar programme at Dewan Sultan Iskandar at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).
Dr Ruzimi in his question informed the prime minster of constraints faced by disabled students in the application of the TVET program which requires the need for both hands, while there are disabled people who can draw and write using their feet and mouth.
"I understand that there are TVET programmes that are not suitable for disabled students, but there is no clear information.
"There need to be a new mechanism to see the entry requirements of disabled students according to their abilities," he said.
Anwar also said he will bring the issue of the one per cent employment quota for the disabled in the ministries and government agencies to the cabinet.
"I agree. I will bring (the issue of employment quotas for disabled people) to the cabinet meeting, he said.
Dr Ruzimi claimed that so far only four ministries met the quota of hiring disabled people so far.