Multilingual JPJ officer ‘happy to help’
Dept awards Nur Syafiqah for excellence and uplifting its good name
PETALING JAYA: Perlis Road Transport Department (JPJ) officer Nur Syafiqah Azaman, who impressed netizens with her fluent Mandarin and later got an award for bringing pride to her department, is just happy that her multilingualism helps foreigners visiting her workplace.
The 23-year-old shot to fame after a video of her explaining in Mandarin the procedure for a car ownership transfer to two students from China went viral on social media on Tuesday.
Nur Syafiqah, whose mother is Chinese, said she speaks a mix of Malay and Mandarin at home and is convinced now more than ever that being multilingual is an “added advantage”.
“Malaysia is fortunate to be home to people of different cultures, and people who can speak multiple languages,” Nur Syafiqah said.
Besides Malay and Mandarin, she also speaks English.
Nur Syafiqah, who studied at Chinese vernacular school SJK(C) Yit Min in Changlun, Kedah, has been working at the Perlis JPJ for five months after finishing her training at the department’s academy in Melaka.
On Thursday, JPJ director-general Datuk Shaharuddin Khalid gave her an excellence award in recognition of her action that uplifted the good name of the department.
“I am very grateful to receive this award and to bring pride to my department,” said Nur Syafiqah, adding that she was really pleased to have been able to help the two Chinese students.
“When people see the video, I hope it shows that foreigners who come to Malaysia need not worry about the language barrier.
“With our multiculturalism in Malaysia, there will be people who can speak the language, and I am happy to be one of those who can help them,” she said.