PETALING JAYA: A brief meeting with Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong a decade ago gave a 10-year-old boy motivation and encouragement to study hard – which has now led to an offer to continue his studies at the prestigious Stanford University in the United States.
On Facebook, Dr Wee had shared a photo of himself and the then-10-year-old boy receiving a prize for a state-level competition.
"This student is now 20 years old and got the offer to study at Stanford University.
"In this picture, my weight was 105kg, that is why I look chubby!
"His mother told me what happened 10 years ago and the story really touched my heart.
"I wish him well and to be successful in the field that he ventures into – not just for himself and his family, but also for the society as he is the future of the nation," Dr Wee said in a Facebook post on Saturday (Jan 16).
Dr Wee included screenshots of the messages sent by the boy's mother, HP Tan.
Tan said in 2010, her son was selected to represent his school SJK (C) Desa Jaya, Kepong in a Bahasa Malaysia and English language mastery level competition in Selangor.
She said it was a memory that the family cherishes until today, as it was one "full of adventure and experience".
"First, we lost our way to the competition venue as we weren't familiar with Serdang. We travelled from northern Selangor, Kepong.
"Despite losing our way, we reached the school on time for the competition. Of course he (the son) was very anxious.
"Fortunately, he emerged as champion in the competition and he was very happy to have bagged this prize for his beloved school," wrote Tan.
Tan said the best part of the competition was not just winning, but also receiving the prize from Dr Wee, who was then the Deputy Education Minister.
"This was the very moment that gave this little boy the lifetime motivation, encouragement and acknowledgement to have big dreams!
"The adrenalin rush that he (experienced, which he) talked about for a few days after the competition, which carries on in his education journey since then, has guided him to his achievement today.
"Just imagine how impactful this meeting was for this little boy. And now, 10 years forward, he is accepted to a world top-ranking university," wrote Tan.
She thanked Dr Wee for the motivation drive for her son to achieve his dreams.
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