In a Bernama report, Zaliha said that the findings from the Mata Hati Wilayah screening programme revealed a worrying trend among schoolchildren.

Zaliha, a former health minister, said that 58.2% of the 2,077 primary school students screened since the programme began in June were found to have blurry vision.

Among the schools selected to participate in the programme are SK Bukit Pantai, SK Desa Tasik, SK Setiawangsa, and SK Wangsa Maju Seksyen 1 – all of which are in Kuala Lumpur.

“During the screening, a Year 1 student was discovered to have quite poor eyesight, which he was unaware of. This will definitely impact his learning,” she said.

“If this issue is not addressed early, it might hinder their learning.”

She was speaking to reporters during the closing of a SPM seminar at the International Islamic University Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur today.

The Mata Hati Wilayah programme is part of an initiative aimed at addressing eye health issues among primary school students across the federal territories.