Kota Kinabalu: A young Sepanggar woman with a disability has secured a pharmacy training placement with the Health Ministry after Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud intervened over a review of her disability status.
Mustapha, who is also Sepanggar Member of Parliament, said in a Facebook post, on Sunday, that the woman, identified as Sophie, came to him with her uncle after her placement was suspended days before she was due to begin training.
“I could not let a daughter of Sepanggar be treated this way. So, I personally brought Sophie’s placement letter to Putrajaya and requested that a decision be made immediately,” he said.
It is understood, Sophie was born with a disability but excelled academically, scoring 8A in her SPM examination. With the help of a scholarship, she pursued pharmacy studies in Sydney, Australia, spending five years away from her family before graduating with strong results.
She returned to Malaysia hoping to serve as a pharmacy officer and on May 11 received an offer for the Health Ministry’s Pharmacy Graduate Training placement.
However, days before she was due to start, she was informed her placement had been temporarily suspended while authorities reassessed her disability status.
Sophie travelled from Sabah to Putrajaya to seek clarification but was told all matters could only be handled by phone, with her physical presence at the Ministry not entertained.
Mustapha said what affected her most was not the delay itself but the feeling that her capabilities were being reassessed solely because of her disability, despite having already proven she could study abroad independently, drive a car, communicate well and carry out duties like anyone else.
Following Mustapha’s intervention, authorities issued a confirmation letter affirming her placement status.
Sophie began her training in Kuala Lumpur on July 13 for a week before reporting for duty at a hospital in Sabah on July 20, with an offered salary of about RM3,500 a month.
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