Scoring high on tenacity

PUTRAJAYA: The announcement of the latest Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) results proved to be a moment of great joy and inspiration for many.

One of them is Khairunnisaq Khairuddin. Having a frail body did not stop the 20-year-old from hitting the perfect score of 4.00.

The student of SMK Bandar Mas, Kota Tinggi, Johor, is afflicted with spinal muscular atrophy type II, an inherited condition characterised by progressive muscle weakness.

The eldest of four siblings used her own form of “shorthand” in class as she could not write as fast as others.

“I would create symbols to substitute words,” said wheelchair-bound Khairunnisaq, who added that ultimately it was family support that really counts.

“There were times when I got serious cramps, and couldn’t even crawl out of bed. Those were the times I felt like giving up. But my parents were always there to encourage me,” said Khairunnisaq, who plans to study psychology at Universiti Sains Malaysia.

She was honoured by the Education Ministry yesterday along with two other top scorers in the Special Students category.

Visually-impaired Lim Xin Huo, 20, born to a fisherman and a housewife, dedicated his award to his teachers, friends and family.

Top scorers: Khairunnisaq is all smiles as she shows off her certificate, results and cheque. (Inset from top) Suraya, Teh and Lim attributed their success to supportive family and teachers.

“It is because of their help and guidance that I achieved this. My teachers were very accommodating and encouraging, helping me with my notes and always being there to advise me.

“I will continue to work hard and realise my dream of becoming an economist,” said the Kolej Ting­katan Enam Pontian, Johor, stu­­dent who plans to enter Universiti Malaya with 3.92.

Sharing Lim’s sentiments on the role of teachers is another visually-impaired student Teh Yong Shing, 22.

Teh said his teachers were very supportive, especially in helping him prepare study materials.

“I believe that there is always a solution to whatever hardship we face. We just have to work at finding it,” said the SMK St John, Kuala Lumpur, student who scored 4.00.

Suraya Sepit from SMK Sulaiman in Bentong, Pahang, was honoured as best student under the orang asli category after scoring a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.58.

“My parents were my source of encouragement,” said the eighth of nine siblings who went for group study to prepare for the STPM.

“If you fail in your exams, don’t allow it to bring you down. Turn it into motivation for you to keep moving forward to achieve excellent results,” said Suraya, 20, who aspires to be a teacher.

According to the Malaysian Examinations Council (MPM), there was marked improvement in results compared to 2015, with 565 candidates achieving 4.00.

Improvements were seen in the National GPA, in the number of students who scored 4.00, achieved at least 3.75 or 2.75, scored A’s in four or five subjects, and who passed all subjects, said MPM chairman Prof Datuk Seri Dr Mohamed Mustafa Ishak.

He added that 16,263 of the 43,235 candidates scored at least 3.00.