Although the Malaysian Health Ministry has received international praise for progressive and compassionate policies in dealing with HIV/AIDS, other discriminatory government policies still persist.
One such policy is the decision to bar individuals who are HIV-positive from enrolling in public universities.
Checks by Malaysiakini found that public universities require prospective students to undergo tests for Hepatitis B and C, HIV, and colour blindness. They are also required to declare if they have any mental health issues.
Those who are found to be HIV-positive will have their offers revoked, ostensibly because the medical condition can affect their studies.
“The university has the right to withdraw this offer or to terminate you from your study if you are found to suffer from or to be a carrier of contagious/infectious diseases, or to suffer from a medical condition requiring continuous medical care that will adversely affect your study at UTM,” Universiti Teknologi Malaysia states on its website.
Not Health Ministry policy
When contacted, Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the bar on enrolment in universities was not the Health Ministry’s policy but imposed by the Higher Education Ministry.
However, Health Ministry facilities assist by conducting health examinations for prospective students, to fulfil the enrolment requirements of the Higher Education Ministry.
“The decision to deny enrolment is not by the Health Ministry, but the Higher Education Ministry will decide according to the standard operating procedures,” Zaliha said when contacted.
It is unclear when this policy was put in place. The Higher Education Ministry did not respond to Malaysiakini’s request for clarification and comments.
Although people living with HIV are not allowed to enrol in universities, students who test positive after enrolling are allowed to continue their studies.
Normal, healthy lives with treatment
PT Foundation, a community organisation working with people living with HIV/AIDS, said the policy is “outdated” and has no medical grounds.
It said the anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment taken by those living with HIV/AIDS today can suppress the virus within six months of treatment.
“Once virally suppressed, the person lives a normal, healthy life.
“So the concern that this person will fall sick, miss classes, become hospitalised, succumb to opportunistic infections, etc, does not happen to those who are on ARV treatment,” it said.
Further, PT Foundation said, once a person is virally suppressed, the chances of transmitting the virus through sexual contact are very low.
“We have witnessed many virally suppressed people living with HIV (PLHIV) who went on to have children; all their children remain HIV-negative,” it said.
According to the Health Ministry, some 66 percent of those living with HIV in Malaysia are on ARV treatment.
Policy perpetuates stigma
PT Foundation said stigma and discriminatory practices such as these impede the Health Ministry’s goal of ending AIDS in Malaysia.
It added such policies also deprive bright, young Malaysians of the opportunity to pursue higher education because they are HIV-positive.
“PT Foundation and other NGOs under the ambit of the Malaysian AIDS Council advocate for the repeal of such outdated policies and to replace them with policies that encourage voluntary testing and counselling, and offer equitable access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support to all their students,” it said. - Mkini
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