Double joy: Yusrah (left) and Yusren posing for the camera after the convocation ceremony at UiTM Shah Alam. — Bernama
Orphan twins overcome hardships to achieve academic success
SHAH ALAM: Losing both parents at a young age did not break the spirit of twins Yusren and Yusrah Yusoff, who have persevered through hardship to earn their university degrees.
Their father Yusoff Abas lost his battle with lung cancer when the twins were just 12 years old, while their mother Ruszarina Hashim passed away from a heart attack five days after the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia results were released in 2019.
Since then, the sisters – now 24 – together with their younger brother, Yazrel, 21, from Ampang, Selangor, have had to grow up quickly, learning to be independent and manage their lives without the guiding presence of their parents.
Yusren shared that her mother’s final message was to make education their source of livelihood and the driving force to pursue their dreams.
“My late mother always said she had no wealth to leave us except education. We have held on to those words until now. No matter what happens, we cannot stop studying – that was our promise,” she told Bernama after the 102nd Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) convocation ceremony (May 2025 session) at Dewan Agung Tuanku Canselor, UiTM Shah Alam, yesterday.
After their mother’s passing, Yusren revealed that they took on various part-time jobs, including working as cashiers and restaurant waiters, to support themselves financially.
She said the challenges intensified when they entered university, as they had to balance lectures with part-time work nearly every weekend.
“Whenever I had the time and opportunity, I would go to work because that was our only source of income; it covered food and expenses for university assignments. It was exhausting, but we had no choice.
“There was even a time when I had only RM3.20 left in my bank account and had to go hungry. I am lucky to have very caring friends and lecturers,” she added, her voice tinged with emotion.
Despite those hardships, the twins were grateful for the university’s zakat assistance and loans from the National Higher Education Fund Corporation, which helped ease their financial burden.
Their sacrifices eventually paid off: Yusren earned a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication (Journalism) and is now employed at a security company, while Yusrah completed her bachelor’s degree in Accountancy and is set to attend her convocation in November.
For Yusrah, her academic success is more than a personal achievement – it is proof that being an orphan without financial support is not an obstacle to reaching one’s goals.
“Today’s world is no longer about who has the easiest path, but who possesses knowledge and qualifications. While a degree does not guarantee continued success, without knowledge, the doors of opportunity are certainly harder to open,” she said.
“If we do not value education ourselves, we cannot expect others to respect us. Completing our studies is not just about earning a certificate – it is proof that we have the discipline, endurance and determination to achieve something meaningful in life.”
Yusrah added that earning a degree is the most meaningful gift they could give their late parents.
“Even though our parents are no longer with us, we believe their prayers have given us the strength to reach this point,” she said.
