Temiar student creates history, scores 8As in SPM
Nur Syafienaz Nazri, 18, a student at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Panggung Jaya, demonstrated that location and background are not barriers to academic excellence.
Growing up in Kampung Merlong in the Resettlement Scheme (RPS) in Kuala Betis, she is one of eight Orang Asli students in the state who passed all subjects, but the only one to score 8As.
"I want to show my community that we can succeed. This is the first step toward achieving my dream of becoming an educator," she told reporters at SMK Panggung Jaya today.
She credited her success to discipline, focus, and continuous support from teachers, friends, and especially her mother, a seamstress who has been the backbone of her education as the eldest child in the family.
"I want to change my family's fate. My mother has sacrificed a lot. I've held onto that determination since Form One," she said.
Nur Syafienaz said that although her home is only about 25 minutes away from school, she chose to stay in the hostel to ensure she wouldn't miss extra classes and learning activities.
She hopes to pursue further studies at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) by enrolling in the English Language Foundation Programme as the first step toward a career in education.
Meanwhile, her mother, Siti Norsyakila Kamarzaman, 36, said her daughter's success serves as a huge motivation for her younger siblings and other Orang Asli students living in rural areas.
"I hope this is not the end, but the beginning for more Orang Asli children to dare to dream and work hard to achieve it," she said.
–BERNAMA
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