IPOH: For many students, YouTube is a source of entertainment. For Lee Kai Jian, it became a study companion that helped him score a perfect 4.0 CGPA in the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) 2025 examination.
The 20-year-old SMK Menglembu student said educational videos and artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT played an important role in helping him understand topics and solve complex questions.
“If there was something I didn’t understand, I would watch videos to help me understand it,” Lee said.
Lee, who scored As in Business Studies, Economics, Accounting and Pengajian Am, said effective time management was equally important.
“You need to know when to study and when to rest,” he said.
The eldest of two siblings hopes to pursue management studies at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) before eventually venturing into the logistics industry.
His friend, Loo Foo Keen, who also excelled in the same four subjects, said students should avoid comparing themselves with others.
“I found it helpful to always ask advice from teachers. ChatGPT was also a lifesaver whenever I needed further clarification on certain topics,” said Loo, who plans to study accounting at USM.
Perak Education Department school management sector deputy director Ahmad Faidzul Mat Yazid said 116 candidates achieved a perfect 4.0 CGPA in STPM 2025, up from 106 the previous year.
He added that four Perak students were recognised as top performers in their respective categories, while the state also recorded a 100% pass rate.
In GEORGE TOWN, visually impaired student Loh Wee Han was pleasantly surprised after scoring an impressive CGPA of 3.84.
The 21-year-old lost most of her vision at 13 after suffering optic nerve damage, leaving her with only about 20% eyesight.
She spent nearly two years learning Braille and relied on Braille study materials throughout her Form Six education at Kolej Tingkatan Enam Haji Zainul Abidin.
“Learning Braille was difficult at first because my fingers were not sensitive enough, and it took a long time,” she said.
A former student of St George’s Girls’ School, the eldest of three siblings revised for about three hours daily and credited her teachers and friends for their unwavering support.
Loh now hopes to become a special education teacher by pursuing a programme at a local university.
Meanwhile, another student from the same college, K. Risshi, scored a CGPA of 3.83 without attending any tuition classes.
The son of a lorry driver and housewife, Risshi studied up to eight hours on weekends and often woke up at 4am to revise.
