(third from left) Tengku Adnan handing one of the 53 free spectacles to a student of SMK Tinggi Setapak as Asst Prof Dr Lili, head of UCSI’s School of Optometry, looks on.

Tengku Adnan, an alumni of SMK Tinggi Setapak, sharing his memories of his schooling days while thanking the teachers for doing their best in grooming the next generation.

UCSI student Norfaten Anisa using the auto-refractor to gauge a child’s refractive error at SMK Tinggi Setapak.

UCSI’s School of Optometry students conducted free eye tests for 400 students of SMK Tinggi Setapak. Out of this, 53 school students were provided with free spectacles.

KUALA LUMPUR: UCSI University’s (UCSI) initiative to provide free spectacles to underprivileged students of SMK Tinggi Setapak has won praise from Federal Territories Minister, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor. 

Speaking during SMK Tinggi Setapak’s Awards Day Ceremony when the spectacles were handed out, Tengku Adnan shared that such community initiatives by private corporations and universities were a step in the right direction to support school education in Malaysia.

“One of the ways private institutions can help is through CSR initiatives such as this optometry campaign by UCSI,” he said. 

He added that, “I want to say thank you to UCSI for what they did here at SMK Tinggi Setapak . I hope that UCSI will continue to do more for public schools.” 

The spectacles were awarded as part of the UCSI School of Optometry’s campaign to improve the eyesight of the younger generation. The recipients were shortlisted when the School of Optometry conducted free comprehensive eye tests for 400 underprivileged students between ages of 13 to 17 at SMK Tinggi Setapak in late March this year. 

The 53 free pairs of spectacles were sponsored by UCSI’s School of Optometry, optical group Focus World Vision Care and lens specialist Hoya Lens. 

According to Head of School, Asst Prof Dr Lili Asma Ismail, this CSR project is a joint collaboration between the School of Optometry, UCSI University and the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) of SMK Tinggi Setapak and is supported by Focus World Vision Care and Hoya Lens. 

The PTA Chairman, Dato’ Sahimi Sani said that good eyesight is important for a student’s performance in school. He commended UCSI’s School of Optometry for going the extra mile to sponsor and obtain sponsorship for the students. 

The free eye tests were conducted by UCSI’s Student Optometry Association students as well as staff who were qualified optometrists.

UCSI Student Optometry Association President, Norfaten Anisa Izat said that the club members were enthusiastic in participating in the eye screening as this was the first eye screening activity conducted. 

“I want to correct the eyesight of as many people as possible. My mother has cataracts and you can say I have personally seen how important it is to have healthy eyes,” says Norfaten. 

Asst Prof Dr Lili explained that good vision encompasses a host of criteria and affects many aspects of one’s health and life, especially so for students who are studying. In addition to clear 6/6 vision with or without glasses, a person should also have excellent 3D vision or depth perception that is important for daily tasks such as driving. 

The health of the eye is another important aspect that optometrists look out for. Diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma (a disease that damages the eye’s optic nerve and can result in vision loss and blindness) can be detected by optometrists. With early treatment, such diseases can be corrected or managed. 

Asst Prof Dr Lili informed that regular eye checkups with optometrists can also detect other diseases at an early stage, before any external symptoms occur.