UTAR Department of Soft Skills Competency (DSSC) of Sungai Long Campus conducted a community service at SJKC Yok Sin and SJKC Sin Min, Malacca on 22 February 2020 as part of the ‘Gift of Eyesight’ project. The project aimed to provide free eye screening for primary school students to check their eye conditions as well as to educate them about eye health. It also served to motivate UTAR students to help others and provide them with unique experience besides allowing them to give back to society.

The UTAR team was led by DSSC staff Lim Jia Jia and Choon Wen Kie. They were divided into two teams to carry out the eye test in the primary schools. The teams received a warm welcome by SJKC Yok Sin Headmistress Hang Mei Sian and SJKC Sin Min Headmistress Goh Seng Hua respectively.

During the event, a preliminary vision examination was conducted among the school students. The collected data was submitted to the Malaysian Association of Practising Opticians (MAPO) for a more detailed eye examination. Upon early detection and treatment, school children with eyesight issues will be able to get free spectacles.

The Gift of Eyesight is a collaborative project between UTAR and MAPO with the contribution from England Optical Group to support the community, particularly school students who are in need of spectacles to improve their vision. England Optical Group Founder Prof Dato Chin See Keat donated a total of 1,300 pairs of spectacle frames for the project. The programme has benefited 27 schools from various states, including Penang, Perak, Kedah, Pahang, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor, and about 424 students have received free spectacles to date.