KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 — From a dim future just days ago, stateless STPM top scorer Roisah Abdullah’s prospects to further her studies just got brighter.
Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (UniRazak) is willing to offer the 21-year-old a full scholarship if she is keen, after reading about her desire to continue her education and serve the country of her birth though she is not yet a Malaysian citizen.
“Her determination to study despite the hardship she faced growing up is quote inspirational and I am sure many parties, just like us at UniRazak, will be happy to see her be given opportunities to go further in life,” its chief executive Amil Izham Hamzah told Malay Mail in an emailed statement yesterday.
The Klang-born Roisah had hoped to study accountancy at a local public university, preferably at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM).
“We were touched by Malay Mail’s story on Roisah Abdullah, and it is great to see how Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh has also stepped in to help,” Amil said, referring to the higher education minister.
“We have a scholarship programme going on especially for those from lower income families, there are also other scholarships available for different areas, we are confident Roisah will find something suited for her,” he added.
Idris stepped forward on Tuesday and said he would get Roisah a place in UUM after reading about her interview with Malay Mail.
The minister also promised to support her citizenship application and said he would arrange a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, to resolve her statelessness.
Ahmad Zahid has the discretionary power to approve applications for citizenship on a case-by-case basis, a power vested in him as home minister under the Federal Constitution.
