Saturday July 2, 2011

Varsity helps caring son who gave up scholarship

By CHRISTOPHER TAN and MUHAMAD SYAKIR ABDUL WAHAB
newsdesk@thestar.com.my

GEORGE TOWN: A Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) student is testament to the saying “love holds no boundaries”.

Loh Chee Hoo rejected a Public Service Department scholarship to study abroad so that he could take care of his mother, a single parent who works as a trader at the wet market in Rifle Range.

“There are only two of us in the family as my husband passed away in 2006. Loh is a good son,” said Chan Kiew Lin, 48.

Staying together: Loh showing the aid he received to Chan after the ceremony at USM Friday.

“He did not want to leave me alone although I asked him to go and further his studies. He cares for my feelings.”

However, Loh got his just dues when the third-year BA student in Mathematical Science was included among 113 poor USM undergraduates who received assistance from the university's fund for the needy.

Loh, 21, had earlier rejected the scholarship to study engineering in France.

At the ceremony to hand out the aid, Loh explained that besides working at the wet market, his mother also stitched clothes to earn a supplementary income.

Chan stood beaming as her son recounted the family's struggle.

Loh said he did not want to leave his mother alone because they were dependent on each other and he could not bear the separation of five to seven years.

“Besides taking out a loan from the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN), I have a part-time job as a tutor for secondary school students. This finances my studies at USM.”

The aid from USM will help him buy study material.

Among the other recipients were Fine Arts BA student A. Anantha Kumar, 23, who said the aid would relieve him of his burden because his course work required a lot of money, especially in the final year.

Saripah Selamat, 20, said the aid would reduce her family's burden because, just like Loh, she was from a single-parent family.

Saripah, who is also the only child, is a second-year student pursuing a BA in Mathematical Science.

USM development manager Dr Asha Suresh Chand said about RM120,000 was given out and each student received about RM700.

USM vice-chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dzulkifli Abdul Razak presented the aid to 35 undergraduates.

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Saturday July 2, 2011

Varsity helps caring son who gave up scholarship

By CHRISTOPHER TAN and MUHAMAD SYAKIR ABDUL WAHAB newsdesk@thestar.com.my

By CHRISTOPHER TAN and MUHAMAD SYAKIR ABDUL WAHAB
newsdesk@thestar.com.my