Devoted son a hero to parents

KOTA KINABALU:Muhammad Azhar Bongkok, 18, may not have scored straight As in his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia  (SPM) examination, having garnered a respectable 3As, 1B, 2Cs, 2Ds and 1E. However, it has not made the the SM Sanzac student any less of a star to his parents, whom are blind. 

His mother Siti Jineh Saimun, who is blind since young, said she was proud of her son's SPM results, and that he had done so much for the family.

"What he has done to help the family, with both my husband and I being blind, is far greater than what he has achieved in his examination," she said. 

Five days a week before going to school, Azhar would walk his mother to the bus station, about forty minutes from home, for her to go to work. After walking home, he would bring his younger brother to Tanjung Aru, about an hour away, before making his way to school in Sembulan. 

The family of seven cannot afford to take public transport as Azhar's father earns around RM800 a month from working as reflexoligist at Gaya Street on weekends. 

Azhar, who aspires to be a counsellor, also helps his father on weekends. He also works at the school's cooperative. 

Siti Jineh believes that her son can do even better in his future exams if given the right opportunity. "I know that he can do even better, as he scored five As in his UPSR and PMR, " she said. 

Meanwhile, Fatimah Matlin from SM Sains Lahad Datu, emerged as one of the top 10 SPM high achievers in state, scoring  nine As despite going to school in a rural area.

 "In Lahad Datu, the environment is conducive for me to study as there are not much distractions.

 "I attribute the success with the effective study group formed at school, where students who are good in certain subjects will mentor the rest," she said.

  There are 160 candidates in Sabah scored As in last year's examination, a drop of 216 students  compared to previous year.