UiTM Students Die Due to Stress from Studying: What is the MoHE Doing to Address This Issue

Just recently, the whole of Malaysia were saddened by the news of the demise of two UiTM students. The first case involved a student from UiTM Merbok, Nurul Natasya Ezreen, 22. She was working late on a coursework when she collapsed at her rented house around 3am. Her housemate then rushed her to the Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital and she was receiving treatment when she passed away on 9 July. Nurul Natasya was pursuing a Diploma in Office Management and Technology.

Image via Utusan Malaysia 

The second case involved Muhammad Adham Hazim, 21. He would often sleep late to complete his assignments. On the day of his death, he crawled to his parents room at 5am pleading them to take him to the hospital. He was receiving treatment at the Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital in Terengganu when he passed away the same night which was on 10 July. Muhammad Adham was pursuing a Diploma in Civil Engineering at UiTM Jengka Pahang.

 Image via Bernama

Both the students complained of a splitting headache before they died due to ruptured blood vessels in their head.

The Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) is concerned with the difficulties faced by students due to online learning and teaching. The MOHE is collaborating with the Counseling Council and Careers of Public Universities of Malaysia (Makuma), to develop a Mental Health module for university students to deal with stress, depression and anxiety.

Likewise, higher education institutions are suggested to follow the advisory note issued by the Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA) to ensure that students mental well-being are taken care of.  This includes conducting teaching and learning by taking into account of the current situation, introducing various online learning methods according to the suitability of courses offered, and above all, extending assessments and evaluations if required.

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