KUCHING: Hard work and discipline paid off for Sarawak's top Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) candidate Hong Yong Kai, who scored 11 A+.
Hong, from SMK Green Road here, said he did not expect to get straight A+ as the exam was tougher than expected, especially for English and Mathematics.
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"I set a study timetable for myself and followed it as strictly as I could," he said after receiving his results slip from state Education director Datuk Dr Azhar Ahmad at the Education Department here on Thursday (June 16).
Hong said it was a challenging experience to study during the Covid-19 pandemic, including having to attend classes online.
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"I struggled hard with my friends. We discussed homework together and helped each other to go through this process.
"I am so thankful to my teachers, my family members and my friends," he said, adding that his ambition was to become a doctor.
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Azhar said 12 students achieved straight A+ in Sarawak, with Hong the only one to take 11 subjects.
Six students scored 10 A+ and five scored 9 A+.
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Five special needs students also achieved excellent results, including two with straight As.
Overall, Azhar said 596 students achieved at least an A- in all their subjects.
"A total of 29,166 candidates or 88.29% were eligible to receive SPM certificates, while 17 schools achieved 100% results with all their candidates eligible to receive the certificate," he said.
Azhar also said Sarawak achieved a national average grade (GPN) of 5.17 for SPM 2021.
He said candidates in Sarawak sat for a total of 78 subjects, with 100% passes in 42 subjects.
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