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| (From left) S. Mahesi, her father K. Selvarajan and mother Mahandar Kaur is all smiles after collecting her results. |
ALOR STAR: Life has been hard for K. Selvarajan who collects scrap metal and other recycled items to earn a living.
His wife Mahandar Kaur, 39, works at a stall selling vegetables.Sometimes the family is so financially strapped that 42-year-old Selvarajan would skip his meals.
They toiled daily to ensure that their two children would have a good education and yesterday, their sacrifices were rewarded when their eldest daugther, S. Mahesi, scored 7As in the Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) examination.
Selvarajan said he never expected his daughter to be among the straight-A scorers.
The 15-year-old was among five students in the state who scored 7As in Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography and Living Skills.
"I dedicate my result to my parents who have worked so hard and sacrificed so much to ensure that I have the chance to attend school," Mahesi, who is also the top student in SMK Sultanah Bahiyah here, said.
She attributed her success to her teachers and friends.Mahesi said as her family could not afford to pay for tuition classes, she paid a lot of attention in class and attended extra classes conducted by her teachers on weekends. "I spent seven hours daily, revising, completing exercises and doing homework. I had to do it so that I would not be left behind in class," she said.
Despite the hardship she faces, Mahesi is determined to work hard to achieve her ambition of becoming a lecturer. "My father and mother have sacrificed a lot and the least I can do is to study hard so that I can change my family's fortunes," she said.
congrats mahesi