PARLIAMENT | Five public universities have set up disability services units under the OKU Inclusion Policy launched by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in early September.

Education Minister Maszlee Malik said Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Technologi Mara (UiTM), Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) had set up the unit and this would be followed by other institutes of higher education in the near future.

"We will make sure that we lay a strong and solid foundation for the betterment of the future for the disabled at the institutes of higher learning," he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Maszlee said this in reply to a supplementary question from S Kesavan (PH-Sungai Siput) who wanted to know about the MOE initiatives for the disabled to ease their entry into the university and to look after the welfare of the group.

Maszlee previously reported that all 20 public universities across the country must implement the Disability Inclusive Policy and set up a disability services unit beginning with the 2019/2020 student intake.

The guidelines were aimed at doing away with the segregation of OKU students from other students

Meanwhile, Maszlee said 466 students with disabilities were offered places of study at public universities for the 2019/2020 intake out of 547 applicants.

- Bernama