Celebrating excellence: (From left) Samuel, Education deputy director-general (Education Operation Sector) Zainal Abas, Siti Ainulmursyida, Chew, Siti Kamariah and ECM Libra Foundation trustee Lim Beng Choon at the award ceremony.
True education goes beyond exams; it lies in preparing students to be independent and confident in facing the world.
It was this conviction that led to Siti Ainulmursyida Shamsudin being awarded the Malaysia Teacher Prize (MTP) 2025 recently.
The special education teacher from SMK Orkid Desa, Kuala Lumpur, was recognised for developing the PEKA OKU digital platform, which had benefited over 300 students nationwide by providing scholarship, training and career opportunities through an AI chatbot.
Under Siti Ainulmursyida’s guidance, students represented Malaysia at the Global IT Challenge for Youth with Disabilities, winning multiple international awards, including gold medals.
Her triumph at the MTP Summit 2025 grand finale in Selangor on Nov 9 concluded a rigorous selection process that shortlisted five finalists from a whopping 2,300 applications submitted by educators nationwide.
Siti Ainulmursyida, who said she was “deeply grateful” for the opportunity to represent her students and to stand for the belief that every child, regardless of ability, deserves to learn, be independent and dream, received an RM50,000 cash prize and a scholarship to pursue a postgraduate programme at INTI International University & Colleges worth some RM70,000.
The other finalists – Muhammad Suffi Yusof (SK Pangkalan TLDM, Perak), Zulazri Yusof (SMK Sultanah Asma, Kedah), Yew Ko Woo (SMK Methodist Sibu, Sarawak) and Rosmawati Hussin (SK Cheneh Baru, Terengganu) – received RM5,000 each.
Now in its fourth year of recognising the power of teachers in moulding the nation’s potential, the MTP is organised by Pemimpin, a non-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening school leadership across Malaysia.
In a recorded speech, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said teachers shape minds, nurture dreams and change lives in ways that cannot be measured by exams alone, but through the character, resilience and aspirations they instil in every student who steps into the classroom.
Teachers, she said, are the main pillars of educational reform.
“Your role extends beyond merely implementing policies; you are the architects of the future of Malaysia’s education.
“These finalists come from various backgrounds and fields, but share a common passion – a strong determination to ensure each of their students receives the best education.
“They prove that education is not just about delivering knowledge but also about instilling humanistic values that will remain in the hearts of every student.
“Such stories remind me that every teacher is not just an instructor but also a catalyst for change capable of driving the transformation of our national education,” she said, adding that the School Curriculum 2027 (KP2027), which will be launched next year, will address the comprehensive development of students’ intellectual, emotional, spiritual and physical aspects.
“I would like to express my appreciation to Pemimpin for collaborating with the ministry’s curriculum development division in developing training modules for KP2027.
“These modules will be disseminated through the LADAP Plus smart application to help teachers, school administrators and parents understand and apply this new curriculum more effectively,” she said.
In his speech, Pemimpin executive director and MTP co-founder Samuel Isaiah said reforms begin in classrooms led by passionate and innovative educators.
“We do this together, with our outstanding teachers leading the way,” he said.
Themed “A Step Together, in Shaping the Future,” the MTP Summit 2025, which kicked off on Nov 8, brought together educators, policymakers and partners for two days of keynotes, panels and interactive workshops.
The event welcomed more than 800 members of the education community from across Malaysia, united by a shared commitment to reimagining the future of teaching and learning.
Among the keynote speakers were former youth and sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin, and Yayasan Hasanah managing director and trustee Siti Kamariah Ahmad Subki.
Their insights reflected the summit’s vision of fostering collaboration across sectors and borders to strengthen education systems and empower educators. They were joined by more than 80 speakers over the two days.
Datuk Kathleen Chew, programme director of YTL Foundation, which was among the sponsors, said this year’s summit was a testament to what can be achieved when people come together.
“It was filled with energy, conviction and passion, exactly the kind of spirit we need to move education forward and to keep doing our best for the future of our children,” she said.
