No place for top STPM scorer

KUALA LUMPUR: Chai Wei Xiong graduated as top STPM special needs student in 2008 and hopes to teach deaf and mute children. He is deaf and mute himself.

But after checking online, he discovered that his application to a local university to study special education had been rejected.

Chai has appealed but has not received any response so far.

He was told by officers in the Ministry of Higher Education that his application was rejected because he did not attend an interview. But Chai maintained he did not receive any notice to attend any interview.

Still hopeful: Chai (right) with his parents looking at the rejected application to study special education at their home in Cheras yesterday.

Higher Education Deputy Minister Dr Hou Kok Chung and Transport Minister’s private secretary Woon Yong Teai have written to the Higher Education Ministry and the Department of Higher Education to help Chai.

Chai told The Star through writing that he was hopeful of getting a place in the university during the next intake. He has been giving home tuition to deaf and mute students in Malay, English, Mathematics, Science and History since April last year.

Chai has been deaf since he was three years old and started his special education at SKPK Jalan Peel.

He had his secondary education at SMK Dato Ibrahim Yaacob and did Form 6 at Methodist Boys School.

In Form Five, he studied in the United States for about 6 months at the Alabama School for Deaf and Blind as part of a cultural exchange programme.

From the source: TheStar http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/7/13/nation/4304862&sec=nation