Yasmein (right) and her mother Suraya Hani Mohamad with the RM1,500 award she received during the state-level Orang Asli Day Festival 2025. — Courtesy photo
SCORING a perfect 4.00 in the Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) examinations was not only a personal triumph for Yasmein Sabreena Aezry, but also a trailblazing achievement for the Orang Kuala tribe.
The 20-year-old from Kampung Orang Asli Sri Mahkota in Pontian Besar admitted she was surprised by her results and credited her family for their unwavering support.
“Thanks to my elder siblings and my mother who made sure I could fully focus on my studies without having to work.
“Honestly, I never targeted having a perfect score. I just stuck to a customised study plan and did my best,” said Yasmein, the third of five siblings.
The loss of Yasmein’s father a decade ago left her family in hardship, both financially and emotionally.
“It was a hard time for us, but my elder siblings and my mother always encouraged me to keep going, even when we sometimes barely had enough to get through the day,” she told StarMetro.
“They worked hard to ensure I could be the first in the family to receive higher education.”
Yasmein said her mother played a pivotal role in keeping her focused.
“She always pushed me to study because she wanted her children to have a better future. This achievement is not mine alone; a big part of it belongs to my family.
“I now understand inaccessibility should never be a barrier to study.
“If you have the discipline and support, you can succeed no matter where you are from,” said Yasmein, who plans to further her education in Malay language literature.”
Yasmein said this after receiving a RM1,500 award from Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi during the state-level Orang Asli Day Festival 2025.
The festival was organised by the Johor government in collaboration with the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) and Rural and Regional Development Ministry to celebrate International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
Another award recipient, Nur Farhana Aqela Mohd Johan, 19, who is from the Jakun tribe, received RM1,000 for scoring eight As in her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) exam.
She said her family was not surprised with her results as she was known to be well-prepared with her studies.
As one of the few Orang Asli families in Kluang town, she said she had easier access for her study needs, including tuition, compared to those who lived in rural areas.
She planned to use the RM1,000 to pay her tuition fees.
“I am grateful to have achieved this result. I know it may shock some people that an Orang Asli child could do well in a major exam, but I am here as proof that even minority communities can excel in studies,” she said.
For Nur Farhana Aqela, the recognition was more than just a certificate.
“There were days when it felt impossible. Even though my family works in town, there were times when my parents had to work extra hard to ensure I could study comfortably.
“Now that I have entered Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, this award will help to ease my parents’ financial burden for my first semester here,” said Nur Farhana who just started her foundation year at the university in Negri Sembilan.
Successes of students were not the only triumphs celebrated at the festival.
Ramli Nekmat, the Tok Batin of Kampung Orang Asli Sungai Layau in Kota Tinggi, also proudly accepted the Best Orang Asli Village Award on behalf of his community.
“Our community started with weekly gotong-royong sessions to keep the village clean, then set up regular meetings with corporate partners to co-organise programmes and ensure every child went to school.
“From young to old, everyone had a role in making our village better,” he said.
The 51-year-old said the village also thrived by nurturing local entrepreneurship.
“We are also known for our local entrepreneurship spirit.
“We have our stores selling baked goods and traditional crafts, and even a dedicated workshop where villagers craft parang,” said Ramli.
In his speech at the festival, Onn Hafiz lauded the accomplishments of the Orang Asli community and announced new initiatives to uplift their welfare.
“We have nine new initiatives totalling RM3.87mil for the Orang Asli community in Johor.
“These achievements show that no community will be left behind in Johor’s development.”
He added that one of the initiatives was to set up a special Orang Asli committee in Johor, with support from Jakoa.
“This new platform will meet monthly to ensure the Orang Asli community is always empowered and taken care of,” said Onn Hafiz.
