Raising their girls (and boy) to reach for the stars

When girls are educated, healthy and empowered, families and societies gain. Hairi Abdullah understood this and gave his four daughters (and son) the best education he could provide them with.

When his girlfriend at the time, Zainab Rahmat, was going to enrol in a teachers training college, Prof Hairi Abdullah urged her to apply to Universiti Malaya (where he was teaching) instead, to pursue her bachelor’s degree.

It was the 1960s and not as many women were enrolled in university but Hairi felt that a degree would offer her boundless opportunities.