By Nurul Haziqah Abdul Halim
Pix by Shahiddan Saidi

BANGI, 12 Dec 2013 – Highly Intelligent students with above average IQ should be given a fast track in their studies in order to polish their talent and skills.

Speaking during his visit to The National University of Malaysia’s (UKM) academy of gifted children the  PERMATA pintar Centre Complex here today, Minister of Education II Dato’ Seri Idris Jusoh said the government is trying to figure out a way that will best suit precocious youths, so that their talents would not be wasted.

“There are some children and youths who we must keep polishing and give more attention to  because they are special and will need more due diligence in handling them,” Dato’ Seri Idris said when addressing some of the students who were there to welcome him.

Vice-Chancellor of UKM Prof Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin and  Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and International Affairs) Prof. Datuk Dr. Noor Azlan Ghazali, were there to greet him when he arrived.

The visit of Dato’ Seri Idris coincided with the PERMATA pintar School Holiday Camp programme, which was run in association with the John Hopkins University Centre of Talented Youth (JHU – CTY).

There is an agreement between PERMATApintar and JHU – CTY, for implementing programmes to strengthen the understanding and studies in science.

He explained that highly intelligent youths must be given more attention and be guided on their studies that are on par with their IQ.

“Putting more shine to their amazing talent will ensure that they grow up into successful people,” he added.

The PERMATA pintar complex  is Malaysia’s only centre of excellence responsible for identifying gifted and talented students from around the country and providing the opportunity to enable them to develop their true potential.

It was founded in 2009 under the administration of the Faculty of Education and later became an entity under the Chancellery in 2010.