Imenwell has clear vision of future despite blindness

Well done: Imenwell showing his certificate with his parents at his side. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star

SIBU: Despite losing his eyesight to glaucoma, Imenwell Isak defied all odds to score well in his 2022 STPM exam.

Imenwell of SMK Matang Jaya, Kuching, had a CGPA of 3.50. He is one of the two persons with disability (OKU) who received recognition by state education director Datuk Dr Azhar Ahmad yesterday.The other was Sia Hui Xin of SMK Sacred Heart.

“I lost my eyesight to glaucoma when I was 16 years old. If I had sought medical treatment earlier, I would not have become blind,” said Imenwell.

“I gained a lot of inspiration and motivation from the Sultan of Johor who, due to his vision, fighting spirit and action, has produced a good football team in Johor Darul Ta’zim. The team is now the top in the country,” Imenwell told reporters.

A football enthusiast, his ambition is to become an educator. He will be applying to Universiti Malaya as he said it has the best facility for OKU.

Asked how he managed to do well in his studies, Imenwell replied that it was due to his father, Isak Ngau, 46, who is also blind and is the chairman of the Sarawak Society for the Blind.

“He spent several thousand ringgit to get a special digital device for blind people like me to read and write. I usually spend about two hours revising every day,” said Imenwell.

“I would also like to express my deepest appreciation to the teachers at my school for their sacrifices while teaching and educating us throughout this STPM preparation.“Disability is not an obstacle for us to succeed; I want people out there to know that if there is will and effort, there is nothing impossible that we cannot achieve,” he said, with his mother Christina Nyohen, 45, at his side.