Proud brother: Tai Qing (third from left) is all smiles standing with his younger brother Tai Zhi (third from right) in front of his trusty motorcycle. With them are UUM officials. — Photo courtesy of kedahgazette.com
KUBANG PASU: A fruit vendor spent two days on the road, riding his motorcycle, for the 600km journey just to be with his younger brother on the first day of registration at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) here in Kedah.
The remarkable trip by Ee Tai Qing, 27, began from his home in Sungai Udang, Melaka, on Sunday, ending at the Changlun Bus Terminal, Kedah, on Tuesday morning.
At the bus station, his brother Tai Zhi joined him as a pillion rider before they reached the campus in a 10km journey.
Tai Zhi, who would be taking up the Bachelor of Hospitality Management programme, had earlier reached the town by bus.
Their journey caught the attention of UUM’s vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Foad Sakdan and deputy vice-chancellor for student affairs and alumni Prof Dr Ahmad Martadha Mohamed.
They warmly welcomed the brothers at the UUM Chancellery Building.
Tai Zhi, 21, said he was excited about the new experiences awaiting him in the Sintok Valley.
“I promise to fully focus and absorb all the knowledge taught by the experienced lecturers,” he told the Kedah Gazette, highlighting his commitment to making the most of this opportunity.
Tai Zhi was one of the 4,195 new students who enrolled in 48 degree programmes for the 2024/2025 academic session at UUM.
Mohd Foad said from the number, 4,061 are local students who had sat for STPM, diploma, matriculation, or UUM Foundation in Management or the Malaysian Higher Religious Certificate (STAM).
He said there were 134 foreign students, with Indonesians topping the list at 98, followed by those from China (23), Japan (seven), Brunei (three), France (two) and Bangladesh (one).
