Inspiring stories about 2008 SPM students:

Disability not a hurdle to get 12As

For hearing-impaired N. Aghilan 17, his 10 1As and two 2As made him the top special student in the country, and also the top student of SMK Jalan Bukit Kajang.

In a phone interview, father M. Narayanan said Aghilan, with 70% loss of hearing, would go through the subject matter days before it was taught in class.

“Despite wearing a hearing aid, he still needed to sit in the front row and teachers had to face him when they spoke so he could read their lips. His friends and teachers were a real help,” said Narayanan.

He said Aghilan hoped to secure a scholarship to study software engineering.

Moral of the story:  Focus, focus, focus.

Fire and noise fail to hamper students to get 11As

In Alor Setar, a pair of twins used a food court in a supermarket nearby to study after a fire partially damaged their father’s hardware shop in Jalan Datuk Kumbar.

Chan Huai Xing and Huai Ying, students of SMJK Keat Hwa spent between two and four hours at the food court revising their studies because of the noise from the renovation work at the hardware shop.

Their determination paid off. Huai Xing scored 11 1As while Huai Ying scored 10 1As and one 2A.

“We spent hours almost daily at the food court until the examination in November.

“Although the place was noisy as well, the din was less distracting than the noise and dust at home,” said Huai Xing.

She hopes to pursue her dream to become a doctor while Huai Ying aspires to be a dentist.

Moral of the story:  Determination to succeed can overcome hurdles.

Fisherman’s daughter is top scorer in SPM 2008 (20As)

Nik Nur Madihah Nik Mohd Kamal is the top Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia scorer with 20 As.

The 18-year-old student of SM (Agama) Maahad Muhammadi Kota Baru obtained 19 1As and one 2A.

The eldest of four siblings, from Kampung Parang Puting near Pantai Sabak, said the three-day SKOR seminar, organised by Berita Harian which she attended last year, helped her a lot in answering questions on subjects such as Mathematics, Science and Bahasa Melayu.

“I did not miss any tuition classes and group studies which the school organised as I could not afford to take private tuition with my parents small income.”

Her father is a fisherman and her mother is a cleaner.

Her results were announced by state Islamic Development, Education and Dakwah Committee chairman Mohd Amar Abdullah at the school yesterday.

Nik Nur Madihah said her father, Nik Mohd Kamal Husin, 42, and mother Mariani Omar, 40, had also encouraged her to do well.

“I plan to further my studies overseas so that I can help my parents and my siblings in the future.”

Moral of the story: poverty is not an hurdle to success

Student spends 5 years away from home to study

Noraziatul Atikah Idris, five years of being away from her mother in Penang paid off the moment she scored 11 1As in her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM).

The student of Kolej Yayasan Saad (KYS), a private school in the state, said her SPM results was her gift to her mother, Normilah Isa, 42, who operates a hawker stall back home in Penang.

“I come from a poor family and my mother is the sole breadwinner after the death of my father two years ago.

“For me, poverty is a blessing because it motivates me to work hard and to ensure I strive for excellence in whatever I do.”

Noraziatul, 18, who has two other siblings who are in Form Four and Year Six, is also determined to set an example to them through her results.

“I left Penang to join this private school after my Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah.

“In the beginning, I was a bit reluctant to leave my mother but after considering the reputation of KYS and how difficult it is to get in, I accepted the offer.

“Now, I am grateful for the opportunity given.” said the lass, who is on a scholarship from the college.

Noraziatul, who wants to become an economic analyst, hopes that she would one day bring her family out from the clutches of poverty.

KYS is a “Sekolah Wakaf” which adopts a campus-style learning environment with state-of-the-art academic and sports facilities for its students.

Deserving students from low socio-economic background with exceptional Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah results are granted the Yayasan Saad scholarship, thanks to the generosity of foundation chairman Tan Sri Halim Saad.

Moral of the story: sacrifice and grab opportunities than comes by

Ex-cancer patient scores 12As!

For Nor Amalina Abd Rahman, who scored 12 As in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), the examination was nothing compared with the test she went through two years ago.

The 15-year-old is lucky to be alive today after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which doctors fought with chemotherapy and surgery.

Her greatest test well behind her, she sailed through the SPM with flying colours.

The former Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Sheikh Abdul Malek student said there were moments when she wondered if she would live to sit the examination.

“Stage Three meant the cancer had spread through the pelvic cavity to the lymph nodes, the small bowel or the surface of the liver, and doctors were not too optimistic of my chances of survival.

“I later found out that the cancer had spread throughout the abdomen and I only had between 15 and 20 per cent chance of survival.

“It was a miracle of sorts that I beat the odds,” said Nor Amalina, who has been declared cancer-free for more than a year.

The fourth of seven siblings said she still had to go for blood tests and check-ups every other month but said she had never felt healthier.

“This episode has made me determined to be a doctor some day. I knew that I could never make that happen if I did not take my studies seriously.

“There were times when I felt tired and lethargic but I did not let that stop me from hitting the books and attending tuition classes after school.”

Amalina said her parents had been wonderful in helping her cope with her workload, especially when the examination was looming large.

Her father, Abdul Rahman Harun, 56, said he and his wife, Khadijah Ismail, 48, were worried their daughter may be pushing too hard to do well in the examination.

“We knew she went through a lot battling her cancer and we thought she might be jeopardising her health by working too hard.

“Now, we are glad that everything has turned out well but we are going to worry again soon when it comes to letting her pursue her studies.”

Moral of the story: Never give up