Foundation gives PJ medical student RM17,700 boost to cover tuition fee
A medical student from Petaling Jaya in Selangor at risk of dropping out because of financial hardship, has received a timely boost to continue her education.
Through the assistance of Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung, Kanageswary Selve Sugumaran received RM17,700 from the Lee Foundation for tuition fees.
Prior to this, the third-year medical student at Management and Science University (MSU) had relied on her father, Selve Sugumaran, to fund her studies.
However, Selve, who has been suffering from chronic illness for several years, is unable to work consistently, making it increasingly difficult to support the household, let alone cover the high cost of medical education.
'I used all my savings over the past two years just to pay for her tuition,' Selve was quoted as saying in a press statement.
'By 2024, I was unable to keep going. My only wish is to see her complete her five-year course and fulfil her dream of becoming a doctor,' he said.
Although Kanageswary was receiving a loan from the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN), the amount was not enough to cover the full cost of her studies.
After a year of seeking help from various sources with no success, Selve reached out to Chean Chung for assistance, who contacted the Lee Foundation (unrelated to the MP).
The foundation stepped in to cover Kanageswary's remaining tuition fees for the current semester.
'Education is a long-term investment, not just in individuals but in society as a whole.
'I am deeply grateful to the foundation for responding so swiftly,' said Chean Chung.
'This act of support embodies the true spirit of social responsibility and inclusivity.'
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The Star
6 days ago
- The Star
Foundation gives PJ medical student RM17,700 boost to cover tuition fee
Chean Chung (right) presenting a cheque on behalf of Lee Foundation to Kanageswary. With them is Selve. A medical student from Petaling Jaya in Selangor at risk of dropping out because of financial hardship, has received a timely boost to continue her education. Through the assistance of Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung, Kanageswary Selve Sugumaran received RM17,700 from the Lee Foundation for tuition fees. Prior to this, the third-year medical student at Management and Science University (MSU) had relied on her father, Selve Sugumaran, to fund her studies. However, Selve, who has been suffering from chronic illness for several years, is unable to work consistently, making it increasingly difficult to support the household, let alone cover the high cost of medical education. 'I used all my savings over the past two years just to pay for her tuition,' Selve was quoted as saying in a press statement. 'By 2024, I was unable to keep going. My only wish is to see her complete her five-year course and fulfil her dream of becoming a doctor,' he said. Although Kanageswary was receiving a loan from the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN), the amount was not enough to cover the full cost of her studies. After a year of seeking help from various sources with no success, Selve reached out to Chean Chung for assistance, who contacted the Lee Foundation (unrelated to the MP). The foundation stepped in to cover Kanageswary's remaining tuition fees for the current semester. 'Education is a long-term investment, not just in individuals but in society as a whole. 'I am deeply grateful to the foundation for responding so swiftly,' said Chean Chung. 'This act of support embodies the true spirit of social responsibility and inclusivity.'
New Straits Times
20-07-2025
- New Straits Times
Mighty Mazwin: She beat cancer twice — then ran 42km for a cause
"CANCER taught me how to live," Mazwin Mohd Radli tells me matter-of-factly. It sounds like a contradiction; that something so deadly could breathe new life into a person. But Mazwin is living proof that even in the shadow of illness, life not only goes on — it can thrive. For her, that new life came with a pair of running shoes and the feeling of wind against her face. On July 13, with a time of 6 hours, 7 minutes and 40 seconds — and surrounded by cheering friends, fellow survivors and members of the Breast Cancer Welfare Association (BCWA), including its president Kim Lim and secretary Liew Swee Lee, both breast cancer survivors themselves — the 45-year-old crossed the finish line of the SCORE KL Marathon, completing the full 42 kilometres. For Mazwin, this wasn't just a marathon; it was a deeply personal celebration of 10 years since her breast cancer diagnosis, and a tribute to the strength, faith and resilience that carried her through. But even a milestone like that comes with caution. In the world of cancer, "remission" doesn't always mean the danger is gone. Clear scans offer hope, but never certainty — not when rogue microscopic cells could still be hiding, silent and unseen. It's a shadow Mazwin has learnt to live with. Just as she was preparing to mark a decade since her breast cancer diagnosis, another blow came. A routine check-up meant to celebrate 10 years of survival instead revealed thyroid cancer. She underwent a total thyroidectomy — surgery to remove the entire thyroid gland, which plays a key role in regulating the body's metabolism, heart rate and temperature. The procedure means Mazwin now relies on daily hormone medication for the rest of her life. Still, she refused to let the diagnosis derail her. "Healing after surgery and getting ready for the marathon was really hard," she admits, adding: "But I told myself I had to keep going… for me, for everyone fighting like I did and for the cause that means so much to me." She ran anyway — and raised over RM17,500 for the Breast Cancer Welfare Association through her campaign, Mighty Mazwin's Marathon. It's the same organisation where she now volunteers, continuing to give back with the same grit that carried her across the finish line. The mother of three, wearing a simple tudung and glasses, smiles at me. But there's something behind that smile — a tenacity, like someone who's been through a lot and come out stronger. She watches me keenly for a moment, before remarking: "When I was diagnosed with cancer, I remember my boss telling me, 'Mazwin… I'm glad it was you who got it. You're strong enough to fight this.'" She chuckles at the memory and adds dryly: "I was a bit shocked. I said, 'Wait, are you actually happy I got cancer?' But I think what she meant was, if anyone could face this head-on and fight this disease, it'd be me. Still, I never let her forget she said that!" That strength, she says, comes from her family — from a childhood shaped by hardship and resilience. Mazwin grew up in northeastern Selangor, near Tanjung Malim, Perak. Her father took on whatever jobs he could find, while her mother worked as a rubber tapper. As the seventh of 11 children, she remembers how tight money was and how everyone had to pitch in just to get by. "I remember my father working at the kapal korek (the tin dredge) for a while, and later as a security guard. He had to travel all the way to Kuala Lumpur for work," she recalls. People often assume Mazwin used to run in school — a fair guess, she admits, given how much she runs now. But she shakes her head. "I loved running. But no, I never joined any sports. It would've meant asking my parents for money to buy sports shoes and I didn't want to burden them." Schooling was basic, limited to the essentials with no room for extras. "I avoided anything that would cost money," she says, adding: "Whether it was school trips, activities or anything outside the classroom… if it wasn't compulsory, I didn't go." That same consideration guided her decisions after school. Confides Mazwin: "I wanted to study medicine. I got a place to do Foundation in Science, but I knew my father couldn't afford it, so I turned it down." Instead, she looked for opportunities that came with financial support. She landed a spot at Pantai Hospital, which offered her a job and sponsored her diploma in Pharmacy. It was a practical choice that allowed her to work, learn and ease the financial burden on her family all at once. FIRST DIAGNOSIS Life carried on. She worked, got married, had children. It seemed ordinary, even uneventful. Then one day, as she absentmindedly ran her hand across her left breast, she felt a lump. Everything changed. 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The cancer hadn't spread to her lymph nodes, and the doctor told her they'd managed to remove everything. It was a huge relief, but the road ahead was still daunting. Mazwin would have to go through both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. "I tried to stay strong, but inside, I was terrified," she admits, adding: "I kept thinking about my children and whether I'd be there to watch them grow up. That scared me the most." PAINFUL RECOVERY Her first chemotherapy session was especially difficult. It fell around the same time as her children's sports day. "My children were so young, and I was missing out on memories," she says wistfully. She'd hoped to be there, to cheer them on from the sidelines. But the doctor advised against it. With her immune system weakened, the crowd and the heat would have been too much. The same friend who had sat beside her in the doctor's office when she first received the diagnosis, and stood by her in the operating theatre, was also there during her first cycle of chemotherapy — quietly offering support just by being present. The side effects of chemotherapy hit her hard. The nausea was debilitating and relentless. Remembers Mazwin: "It was difficult. Just as I'd start to recover from one cycle, it would be time for the next, and the whole wave of discomfort and extreme nausea would start all over again." By the third cycle, Mazwin was at her breaking point. "I remember hiding under the blanket and crying," she recalls quietly. "I felt like giving up." Soon, her hair began to fall. But it wasn't just the hair loss that was difficult; it was the pain that came with it. "Every strand felt like needles poking through my scalp. It was hot and painful," she recalls, adding: "Eventually, I shaved it all off." The side effects didn't stop there. 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By 2024, she pushed herself even further — tackling a 30-kilometre run. "I almost mati (died) lah!" she jokes, eyes twinkling with mischief. "But I finished it!" Despite a recent thyroid cancer diagnosis, another operation and rounds of radiotherapy earlier this year, Mazwin remains steadfast in her outlook. She chooses not to dwell on the pain, but on the lessons it brought. "Cancer gave me a new lease on life," she says gently, adding: "It taught me to take better care of myself. And it changed me — from someone who didn't know how to ask for help, to someone who now helps others." But perhaps what speaks loudest of her resilience is the sound of her feet hitting the pavement. "Running reminds me that I'm still here. That my body, though scarred, is strong. And that every step forward is a gift," she asserts, smiling. As a little girl, she couldn't afford proper shoes and never had the chance to join school sports. Running was a distant dream then. Today, she runs not just for herself, but for every woman who's ever been told they couldn't. And for as long as her legs will carry her, "mighty" Mazwin will keep running — one stride at a time, chasing hope, healing and life itself.
The Sun
17-07-2025
- The Sun
Gamified ECG learning boosts Gen Z engagement at MSU
In the modern educational landscape, the expectations and learning preferences of students have shifted significantly. With the emergence of Generation Z learners: digital natives who thrive in interactive, visual, and engaging environments: traditional didactic teaching methods often fall short in capturing their attention and sustaining motivation. This is particularly true in highly technical and skill-intensive fields such as cardiovascular technology, where both theoretical knowledge and practical proficiency are essential for professional competency. As educators strive to bridge the gap between passive instruction and active engagement, gamification has emerged as a promising pedagogical strategy. By integrating game elements such as storytelling, decision-making, and feedback into academic content, educators can foster deeper learning, enhance critical thinking and encourage collaborative problem-solving. What's gamification? Gamification refers to the incorporation of game-like elements into non-game contexts, including education. Within health sciences education, gamified learning has been found to improve student engagement, motivation and retention of information. For ECG education, which requires a strong understanding of anatomical landmarks, lead placements, procedural accuracy and clinical interpretation, gamified tools can make abstract and technical content more relatable and memorable. This teaching innovation was developed in response to feedback from students and lecturers that traditional ECG instruction delivered through lectures and demonstration was often monotonous and did not cater to diverse learning styles. Inspired by the popularity of interactive web novels and branching storyline games among Gen Z students, the teaching team at MSU initiated the use of web novel-style PowerPoint games as an instructional tool. This approach combines clinical simulation, storytelling and user-driven pathways, encouraging students to engage with content in a dynamic and purposeful manner. The groups were evaluated based on comprehensive rubric encompassing cognitive, psychomotor and affective learning domains. The cognitive domain focused on the accuracy and depth of clinical reasoning; the psychomotor domain assessed the sequencing and correctness of ECG procedure steps and the affective domain measured teamwork, creativity, and professionalism. Positive Outcome on cognitive load. The implementation of the gamified project yielded several positive outcomes, both qualitative and quantitative. Students responded enthusiastically to the assignment, often exceeding minimum requirements. Most groups incorporated vivid storytelling, original characters, and realistic hospital scenarios. Narratives frequently explore themes of patient anxiety, ethical dilemmas, and teamwork in a clinical setting: highlighting not just technical accuracy but emotional intelligence. From a learning outcomes perspective, students demonstrated improved comprehension of ECG fundamentals. Lead placements, which are often misinterpreted in traditional assessments, were clearly and correctly illustrated in the majority of presentations. The branching choices allowed students to understand the consequences of procedural errors, such as misplacement of electrodes or failure to check equipment calibration. The requirement to justify narrative choices and reflect on clinical implications prompted students to engage in deeper discussions during their presentations. Many reflected on what they learned through mistakes built into their stories. Group work also fostered peer learning, leadership, and communication: skills essential in clinical practice. The success of the web novel game approach demonstrates the power of storytelling and interactivity in transforming ECG education. By allowing students to inhabit the role of a healthcare professional making real-time decisions, the activity fostered a sense of accountability and realism that is often absent in textbook learning. Moreover, the use of a familiar and accessible platform like Microsoft PowerPoint made the implementation feasible with minimal technological barriers. Contrary to assumptions that gamification requires expensive software or coding skills, this project illustrates that innovation in education often lies in how tools are used, not how advanced they are. Importantly, this approach aligns with constructivist learning theory, which emphasizes that learners build knowledge through experiences and reflection. In this case, the narrative structure and decision-making process served as a scaffold for integrating new knowledge with prior understanding, encouraging meaningful learning. Conclusion In conclusion, gamification, when thoughtfully integrated with storytelling and clinical reasoning, can significantly enhance the quality of learning in allied health education. The web novel game project empowered students to take ownership of their learning, apply theory to simulated practice, and reflect on the humanistic aspects of patient care. As educational institutions increasingly embrace digital transformation, strategies that blend narrative, simulation, and interactivity will play a critical role in preparing future healthcare professionals. The success of this project highlights that innovation does not require complex technology but a creative reimagining of how students learn best. Author: Nik Ida Marliana Bt Nik Anuar Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Management and Science University, Malaysia Correspondence: nikidamarliana@
