PETALING JAYA: The story of STPM top scorer Lim Chin Hong, who overcame personal challenges to achieve a perfect CGPA of 4.0, has sparked overwhelming support from universities and a philanthropist, offering him full scholarships.
MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (pic) said Lim's perseverance had inspired many, with several institutions quickly stepping forward to open doors for his future.
"After I highlighted his journey, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) and Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) were the very first to offer him a place in his preferred course with full scholarship," he said in a Facebook post on Wednesday (Aug 20).
Dr Wee said Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU) and UCSI University later made similar offers, while another organisation and a Singaporean philanthropist pledged to cover his education expenses in full.
He added that UCSI University also extended a full scholarship to another high-achieving student, Aniq, who is autistic and scored a CGPA of 3.83.
"I am deeply grateful to all these universities and organisations for their kindness. Some had asked why I did not secure him a place in UTAR and TAR UMT, the two institutions founded by MCA. The fact is, they were among the first to make the offer," he said.
Dr Wee explained that Lim had always aspired to study at a public university, a choice that must be respected.
He also expressed his appreciation to Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, who assured that Lim would be given a place in a course of his choice at a public university.
"I will personally convey every offer to his family and let him decide which path he wishes to take. What matters most is that he now has the opportunity and support to pursue his dream, all thanks to the compassion and kindness of so many Malaysians," Dr Wee said.
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Zambry had assured in Parliament that Lim, a high-achiever who lost his right leg due to a medical condition called hemangiona, would be considered for engineering programmes offered in public universities.
Lim, a student from SMK Yong Peng who achieved a 4.0 CGPA in STPM 2024, was earlier denied the choice for engineering programmes on account of his disability.
Zambry said he acknowledged while the rejection was based on reasons such as the institution lacking the necessary facilities, he admitted that such grounds were unacceptable and pledged policy changes to make public universities more inclusive.
"We must change university policies to ensure greater inclusivity for OKU students.
"Therefore, I wish to inform Yang Berhormat that this student, who scored full As, will be given a place," he added.
Dr Wee highlighted Lim's plight after the science stream student discovered that all engineering courses were removed from his public university application due to his disability.
Dr Wee questioned the broader admissions policy, citing the case of Aniq who scored a CGPA of 3.8, but was also unable to select preferred programmes.
He stressed that government policies must not discriminate against persons with disabilities and urged the Higher Education Ministry to review policies to ensure equal opportunities for them.
Zambry also said last week that Aniq's case would be resolved soon.
