Compiled by SALMA FAIRUS, C.ARUNO AND R.ARAVINTAN
A RETIRED teacher from Perak has become well known for her special name.
Rosni (Malaysia) Buyong is often affectionately called “RM” or “Malaysian Ringgit”, Kosmo! reported.
Rosni, 62, said she considered herself fortunate to have been born on Sept 16, 1963, at the military hospital in Padang Tembak, Kuala Lumpur, the very date the federation of Malaysia was formed.
She said the name was given by her late father in conjunction with that historic occasion.
“When I was young, it was difficult to adjust to such a name, but over time I became proud of it because it carries the identity of our nation,” she said when met by reporters at her home in Sungkai, Perak, recently.
Rosni, who used to teach at SMK(P) Methodist, Kuantan, Pahang, said her students fondly called her Cikgu RM.
“I never took it personally. In fact, it made me feel closer to them.”
She admitted in the past her unusual name often caused confusion when dealing with government departments and banks.
“But once I explained that I was born on Malaysia Day, they would understand and even praise the patriotism in my name,” she said.
> A lecturer from Bachok, Kelantan, has defied the odds by earning a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree while battling breast cancer, the daily also reported.
Dr Fadilah Hanim Abdullah, 45, completed her studies in Entrepreneurship at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) after nearly eight years of perseverance while undergoing multiple treatments.
The lecturer at UMK’s Faculty of Entrepreneurship and Business in Kota Baru said she had to write parts of her thesis from her hospital bed and spent long hours completing assignments while enduring pain.
Her academic journey began in 2015, but a year later she was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer.
“I had to undergo various treatments, including surgery, 22 sessions of chemotherapy and 20 sessions of radiotherapy.
“In 2023, the cancer cells spread to my bones, reaching stage four.
“Alhamdulillah, with the support of my family and my own determination, I managed to complete my studies,” she said when met at UMK’s 15th convocation ceremony on Tuesday.
Fadilah received her PhD certificate from Crown Prince of Kelantan Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra, who is also UMK Pro-Chancellor, at the ceremony.
(The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.)
