FORTY-THREE pupils who scored 7As and 8As in the UPSR examinations last year took home a mountain bicycle each.
The goodwill gesture came from Sri Muniswarar Temple in Jalan Baru Prai near Butterworth, who rewarded the 23 boys and 20 girls from 28 Tamil schools during a special ceremony held at the temple hall recently.
S. Logasree from SJKT Ladang Valdor, Sungai Bakap, said she could now cycle to tuition classes and sundry shops near her house.
Some of the recipients posing with their bicycles together with Gopalakrishnan (checked shirt), the temple committee and guests at the temple hall.
Another recipient V. Sharniya, also from SJKT Ladang Valdor, said she was happy to own a mountain bike.
“I will be using this new bicycle and give my old bicycle to someone else,” she said.
S. Visvaraj from SJKT Ladang Jawi, who scored straight 8As, said he studied hard after being told that he would be rewarded with a mountain bike if he secured good grades in his UPSR.
“I will use the bicycle for evening ride in my housing estate,” said Visvaraj, who stays in Taman Sintar Indah, Nibong Tebal.
Temple president Datuk N. Gopalakrishnan said the annual programme was meant to motivate the pupils in doing well in their studies.
He said the move would motivate other students to study hard and obtain good results.
“The children need to study hard and pursue a tertiary education so that they could be competitive and successful in life,” he said.
Penang Hindu Endowment Board executive director Datuk M. Ramachandran praised the temple management for carrying out the programme for more than 15 years.
He also urged other temples’ management to emulate Sri Muniswarar Temple’s effort.
Penang Tamil Schools organiser S. Singaravelu praised the temple management for motivating the high achievers and told them to keep up the good work.
Also present were temple vice-president cum secretary M. Segaran as well as the temple religious and education affairs co-ordinator K. Rajamanickam.
At the same event, the temple also gave away school uniforms, shoes and socks and a school bag each to 30 poor pupils from SJKT Prai and 20 pupils from SJKT Ladang Pyre in Prai.