GEORGE TOWN: Against all odds, special needs student Kenneth Saw Chzi Yang has proven that determination knows no limits by scoring 9As and 2Bs in the SPM examination.
Saw, 18, from SMJK Sacred Heart in Balik Pulau, is classified as a slow learner but it evidently has no impact on the astuteness of his mind.
With grit and spirit, he soared academically, clinching six A+ grades in subjects including Additional Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry.
Saw stood out as Penang’s only special needs student to excel in the nation’s most important school exam last year.
“I struggled a lot with expressing myself when I was younger. People often couldn’t understand me.
True grit: Saw, who scored 9As and 2Bs in his SPM exam, says he studied smart, making up for his shortcomings.
“My focus was poor and my vocabulary was limited,” Saw, who has a speech impediment, shared.
With support from friends and family, Saw overcame his difficulties and pushed forward, with sterling results.
His secret? A smart strategy.
“Don’t just study hard – study smart,” he said. “Understand the topics well and use keywords to improve efficiency.”
“If I face challenging questions, I refer to the marking scheme and look at trial papers from other states for guidance,” he said after receiving his results yesterday.
Saw said he hopes to secure a scholarship next and pursue a degree in data science, a field combining mathematics, statistics, and computational techniques.
Meanwhile, at SMK Bukit Jambul, there was even more reason to celebrate as three pairs of twins joined the ranks of high achievers – all with straight As.
They were among 49 students from the school to achieve top results.
The twins are Teh Zhe Huei and his sister Teh Zhe Yee, sisters Nurul Aliya Najwa and Nurul Ain Nafisha Muhamad Rusli, and K. Abirami and K. Abinaya.
In Johor, M. Kayyelvizhi, Harry Danish Ahmad Kamal Azuan, and twin sisters Lee Yun Ting and Lee Yun Qian, saw academic excellence as not powered by privilege but forged through sheer discipline, sacrifice, and family support.
Kayyelvizhi, a top scorer from SMK Sultan Ismail who achieved 10A+ and 1A, swore off mobile phones for the past five years during her secondary school time.
“In fact, during the last two years of my secondary school, I did not use any gadgets for leisure at all.
“I knew when I had to study, and I stayed true to that,” she said when met at her school yesterday.
Kayyelvizhi, who plans to further her studies in the medical field, said she was inspired by her older brother, who formerly scored 12A+ for SPM.
She said her parents bought her first mobile phone right after she completed her SPM examinations.
Harry Danish, who is also 18, was very thankful after getting 8A+ and 1A by relying on self study and persistence.
“The pressure was intense. There were a lot of drills, but I kept going because I knew it would be worth it.
“I expected to do well based on the effort I put in, but I kept my expectations grounded,” he said adding that he plans to further his tertiary education in information technology.
Twin sisters Yun Ting and Yun Qian, both 18, paid tribute to their parents for their support.
Yun Ting scored 6A+, 3A, 1A- while Yun Qian earned 7A+, 1A, 2A- in the exams.
