On Thursday (13 July), the Malaysian Higher School Certificate (STPM) 2022 exam results were released. It is considered the equivalent of the GCE A-Level in Singapore.
Among those collecting their results was 20-year-old Arnie Jaliusih, who impressively scored a perfect Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.0.
However, attending the results announcement ceremony was no easy feat for her family.
Her father, a rubber tapper, reportedly had to borrow RM120 (S$35) to pay for the return taxi ride to and from the school.
According to Bernama, Ms Arnie is a student at SMK Tun Fuad Stephens in Tamparuli, a small town in Sabah.
She was one of 75 students in the entire state who achieved a perfect 4.0 CGPA in their STPM results.
The results were announced at a ceremony at Kolej Tingkatan Enam Kota Kinabalu on Thursday (13 July).
In order to get to the school, Ms Arnie’s father, 62-year-old Jaliusih Madakol, had to overcome a few hurdles.
He told The New Straits Times that he only owns a motorcycle and an old car that he’s had since the 90s.
The car is “always breaking down” and the farthest it can reach is Tamparuli town, some 30 minutes away. Getting to the school from there would take another half-hour.
Because of this, he had to hire a taxi to take them to and from the location. The round trip cost RM120 (S$35).
As a rubber tapper, Mr Jaliusih earns around RM200 to RM300 (S$58 to S$87) a month, so this was a pretty steep price for him.
Thus, he had no choice but to borrow the amount from several other people in his village.
The trip turned out to be completely worth it.
Heartwarming photos show Mr Jaliusih beaming at Ms Arnie with pride as she holds up her certificate declaring her stunning achievement.
He shared that his daughter wants to become a teacher.
In order to be able to fund her higher education, the family may have to rely on their relatives for financial help.
Speaking to Sinar Harian, Ms Arnie admitted that she never thought she’d get such stellar results — the highest she expected was a 3.8 or 3.9 CGPA.
She added that she will not let her humble family background be an obstacle for her to succeed.
In fact, with her results, she hopes to further her studies and change her family’s life for the better.
A huge congratulations to Ms Arnie and all the other STPM candidates who received amazing results.
We wish her all the best for her future and know she’ll be going on to do great things.
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Featured image adapted from New Straits Times and Bernama.
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