Mandatory Eye Screening For Children Entering Year One Should Be Implemented - Dr Zaliha

KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 (Bernama) -- Mandatory eye screening for children entering Year One should be implemented as a proactive measure to detect and address vision problems from an early age, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa.

Citing a vision screening exercise involving 2,008 lower primary students across five schools in Kuala Lumpur last year, Dr Zaliha revealed that approximately five per cent were found to have eye-related health issues.

“Of those, 88 per cent suffered from myopia (short-sightedness),  four per cent had colour blindness, and eight per cent were diagnosed with strabismus (crossed eyes),” she said during the launch of the Mata Hati Wilayah 2025 programme at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Seri Bintang Utara in Cheras today.

She noted that untreated vision problems can delay motor, cognitive, and language development in children, potentially leading to long-term consequences well into adulthood.

As such, Dr Zaliha urged the Ministry of Education to consider making eye screening a compulsory part of Year One student enrollment nationwide.

On the Mata Hati Wilayah programme, the minister said the initiative’s second phase now includes five primary schools, namely SK Seri Bintang Utara, SK Tun Hussein Onn, SK Jalan Bellamy, SK Seri Mega, and SK Sungai Penchala.

The programme, which is part of the Federal Territories Department’s Program Usaha Jaya Insan (PUJI) initiative, aims to promote eye health and provide corrective aid to students in need.

“I was informed that 92 per cent of students who received spectacles through this programme showed significant improvement in communication and social interaction with peers,” she added.

During the event, Dr Zaliha also announced a RM10,000 allocation for SK Seri Bintang Utara as a gesture of support for the school’s active role in implementing the high-impact initiative.

“With the encouraging data and positive impact we’ve seen so far, I’m confident we’re on the right track toward nurturing a generation of students who are healthier, more confident, and ready to take on future challenges,” she added.

-- BERNAMA