PM Praises Malaysia's First Savant Autistic Artist's Achievement

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 24 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Najib Razak Thursday praised Malaysia's first Savant Autistic Artist, Delwin Cheah Wien Loong for his achievement and recognition he received lately. "Proud and awed by Delwin Cheah's story. This young savant living with Aspergers is already an artist. Disability is no barrier to success," Najib said this in his tweet Thursday. On Jan 21, the prime minister's wife, Rosmah Mansor had met Cheah and his family in Putrajaya and Rosmah said parents of autistic children should not be shy of the condition of their kids, but should keep on supporting and helping them achieve their best according to their strength. Delwin Cheah Wien Loong, eight, has been recognised as the World's Youngest Savant Autistic Artist To Hold A Solo Art Exhibition by the Record Setter USA. Cheah was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome at the age of five, and had difficulty communicating during the younger years. Despite this problem, he had scored 114 on his non-verbal IQ test, has a special ability of memorising almost all the animals and started to draw at the age of three. Cheah was discovered as a Savant Autistic Artist, a prodigious or genius savant. Less than 50 such people are still living in the world today, and Cheah is the youngest savant in the team of Strokes of Genius USA. -- BERNAMA