Mum quits job to help daughter
DETERMINED: Hospitalised candidates cope with setbacks to sit SPM exam
in Kota Kinabalu yesterday.
EMOTIONS ran high not only for students who sat the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations, but also for their parents who share the jitters.
Mazura Karim, 43, said she quit her high-paying job as a business information technology analyst at a private company to coach her eldest daughter, whom she described as an average student and needed assistance.
“My daughter went through emotional setbacks and I knew no nobody could help her but me.
“I made the decision to quit after consulting my husband, even though it is risky to leave a job considering the economic situation and having to provide for four children, all of whom are studying,” she said at SMK Putrajaya 11(2) here.
Mazura resigned from her job in August to prepare her daughter for trial exams in September.
Her daughter, Farah Nur Atyka Abdul Kassim, was among 67 students of SMK Putrajaya 11(2) who sat the Bahasa Melayu Paper 1 yesterday with 33 private candidates.
Meanwhile, several students sat the first paper from the hospital bed due to accidents.
In Kuala Terengganu, six students
to Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia sat the examinations in three hospitals, with four at Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital here and one each at Hulu Terengganu and Dungun hospitals.
Nu’r Dayana Izzati Mohd Fauzi, 17, from SMK Batu Rakit, said she had a fall in her school hostel on Oct 22 and fractured her spine.
While recuperating, her teachers and classmates helped her with the revision and homework.
“When I had doubts, I communicated with them via mobile phone.”
SMK (A) Dato Haji Abbas, Tok Jiring, student Nur Syafirah Abdul Rahman, 17, said she was hospitalised on Sunday due to dizzy spells.
Nur Syafirah said she fell from her bed in 2014 and was recovering.
In Kota Baru, an SPM candidate who had his appendix removed on Friday at Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II could not hold back his tears as he had to sit the examination at the hospital.
Muhammad Arif Asyraf Anuar was so upset that he started crying at the hospital’s Cempaka Ward here yesterday.
The Tahfiz Sains Kolej student from Kok Lanas said he was saddened and disappointed as he could not focus on the Bahasa Melayu papers yesterday.
In Kuching, Afida Sufian, who had metal plates fitted in her right hand after an accident two years ago, was given an additional 30 minutes to complete her Bahasa Malaysia papers.
The SMK St Theresa student said she had trouble writing but was
at Maktab Sabah determined to complete the papers within the time frame.
Afida was among 36,263 SPM and 5,349 Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia candidates who sat the exams in Sarawak.
As the school hall was destroyed in a fire about a week ago, the examinations were held in classrooms.
In Kuantan, Nor Syamimi Mohd Asri, who had an accident on her way to school yesterday, sat the exam at Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital (HTAA).
Her mother, Zahirah Shafei, 44, said she was relieved that her daughter, a student of SMK Pelabuhan, sustained only minor injuries.
“I was shocked to learn about the accident but, thankfully, she was able to sit the examination.”
Nor Syamimi, who was riding a motorcycle, fell as she tried to avoid a collision with a car.
Another student, Nurul Izzati Nazri from SMK Jengka 18, also sat the exam at HTAA.
Nurul Izzati, who was diagnosed with brain tumour last year, was hospitalised last Friday after having headaches.
Education Private Education Division director Abd Halim Ismail said only three per cent, or 12,847 of the 434,535 SPM candidates were from private schools.
“The performance of SPM students in private schools has always been among the best in the country.
“I hope they will do well in this year’s examinations too,” he said during a visit to Kuen Cheng High School here yesterday. Additional reporting by Aina Nasa, Kalbana Perimbanayagam and Adib Povera