Results bring teens closer to dreams
SHAH ALAM: The sacrifice of a father who quit his job to look after his half-paralysed son paid off yesterday when the latter scored straight As in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM)
The father, from Subang Jaya, who only wanted to be known as Tan and used to be a quantity surveyor, was excited when his son, Tan Han Hsen, was announced as one of Selangor’s top students in SPM.
Han Hsen, 18, who has spinal muscular atrophy and has been wheelchair-bound since age 7, scored 9A+ and 1A- in the exam.
The SMK Seafield student said his father quit his job a few years ago to take care of him.
“My father used to be a quantity surveyor, but he sacrificed his job to help me get through my daily routine.”
The teenager, who is doing his A Levels at Sunway College, believed that consistent revision every day was the key to success.
As for Mohamed A’azim Aiman Mohamed A’azam, 18, scoring two As was all it took to paint a smile on his face.
A’azim and two others received special recognition from SMK Seksyen 9, Shah Alam, yesterday for passing all subjects, proving that being hearing impaired was no barrier to good results.
A’azim, who wants to become an accountant, said he would spend a few hours every day in the Integrated Special Child Education Programme when he was in Form 1 before classes began.
“Alhamdulillah, I am happy with my results. I got As in my favourite subjects,” said A’azim, who scored As for Modern Mathematics and Accounting.
In Kuala Lumpur, SEA Games athlete Veronica Lee did not let her love for synchronised swimming get in the way of achieving straight As in her SPM.
With her busy training schedule as a national athlete, she could only spend two hours in class at SMK Aminuddin Baki every day.
Describing herself as a mentally and physically tough person, Lee said she used to spend the rest of her day at tuition classes and training sessions.
“I wanted to do well as an athlete and a student. I think hard work is key. If we work hard, we will get what we want.”
Nur Nasrin Ali, from SMK (P) Sri Aman, Petaling Jaya, said she found Additional Mathematics questions tough and did not expect to score 6As and 3Bs.
Nur Nasrin, who is active in sports and part of the Federal Territories bowling team, had skipped school for three months last year to prepare for the Malaysia Games in July.
“I did not expect to do so well after being absent from school. I hope to pursue my studies in information technology and major in network security.”
In Kota Baru, Nuriffah Ramizu, from SMK Panchor Perdana, had been facing difficulties to write since four years ago after her right arm was paralysed following a high fever when she was 12.
She said she underwent physiotherapy at Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital frequently.
Despite her disability, Nuriffah vowed to work hard to achieve her ambition to become an accountant. She scored 8As.
In Jitra , disability and poverty did not stop Muhammad Syahir Umar from scoring 8A+ and 1A.
The SM Sultan Abdul Halim student, who has hearing difficulty in his right ear, relied on a monthly RM100 zakat allowance and government scholarship to get through his studies.
“It is my dream to achieve good results so that I can take care of my parents. I wish to study engineering in Japan.”
In Kangar , Ahmad Zahir Ahmad Zalizan was among the top SPM scorers in Perlis, with 9A+.
The SMK Derma student said two of his brothers were studying medicine, and he wanted to follow in their footsteps and pursue tertiary education.
“I want to take up Mathematics and become a professor.”
In Nilai, Natasya Qisty Mohd Ridzuan, who scored 9A+, was the centre of attention at Tunku Kurshiah College as many thought she resembled actress Neelofa.
“Neelofa is truly a beauty. I pale in comparison. Nevertheless, I am flattered to be compared with someone like her,” Natasya said.
She said she wanted to pursue her studies in science and was not interested in showbiz.
The college emerged as the top school in Negri Sembilan for SPM 2016. It is also the best fully-residential boarding school nationwide, with 62 out of 151 candidates scoring straight As.
In Ipoh, Chiang Wai Cheng, 19, was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) at the age of 9 and was told he might not live long.
But that did not dampen his desire to excel.
Wai Cheng, from SMK Tanjong Rambutan, scored 6As and 3Bs and was awarded as the Best Student Award (Disabled Category) for Perak.
Wai Cheng said he dedicated his success to his father, Chiang Wan Marn, 51, who quit his job to look after him and his brother, who has the same disease.
His mother had died from breast cancer.
Wai Cheng, who is wheelchairbound, said since his movement was limited, he did not attend any additional or tuition classes. Instead, he spent about two hours daily studying via YouTube.
In Malacca , Rueben John Abraham, from St John’s Institution, knew what he needed to do to perform in his SPM and he executed his plan to perfection, scoring 10 straight A+, making him Malacca’s top performer.
Rueben, who was the only one who achieved the perfect score, said he was on his way to achieving his dream of becoming a civil engineer.
He is doing his A Levels at Sunway University in Subang Jaya.
“I didn’t feel much pressure. It was only around September that I began to really focus on SPM. My parents helped by getting me past year papers.”
Reuben’s twin sister, Ruth Elizabeth, from Infant Jesus Convent, was among 20 students in Malacca who scored nine As.
“But she didn’t score nine A+,” Rueben joked.
“No, he didn’t study,” joked Reuben’s father, Dr Abraham John, 57.
“The only time we saw him study was when he went for tuition classes. But, he has a very good memory, so studying is easy for him.” Page 1 pic: Anis Nur Athirah Ahmad Sukari (third from right) reacts as she is announced as the top SPM scorer for Tunku Kurshiah College, with 10 A+, in Nilai yesterday.