We did it: The top STPM scorers from Kolej Tingkatan Enam Haji Zainul Abidin striking a pose at their school in George Town. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: Unlike many of her peers, Amsyar Muawiyah Mohd Sofi did not have the luxury of attending tuition classes or purchasing expensive study guides.
Her mother, who works as a cleaner, is the family’s sole breadwinner. But the 20-year-old arts stream student knew education was her only ticket out of poverty.
She threw herself into her studies and was rewarded with a 4.0 cumulative grade point average (CGPA) in the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM).
“From day one, I knew I had to give my all if I wanted results. I spent six hours a day studying.
“I know education is the only way out of poverty and in return, I will be able to provide for my family once I graduate,” she said when met at Kolej Tingkatan Enam Haji Zainul Abidin along Jalan Hamilton yesterday.
Amsyar Muawiyah said her mother had been her pillar of strength ever since her father passed away a few years ago.
“My mother had to start working to support my younger sister and me,” she said, adding that she hoped to become a teacher.
Fellow straight A student Nurhafizah Abdul Raseed, 20, said she struggled to keep her grades up at first.
“The transition was difficult but my parents could not afford tuition. My father is a taxi driver and my mother is a cleaner,” she said.
She then turned to her teachers and online study materials for help.
“I realised that I want to be a teacher as I want those like me to be guided as well,” she added.
Meanwhile, Penang Education Department deputy director of the learning sector Roland @ Rozaidi Abu Hassan said 15 out of the 25 schools that offer STPM in the state achieved a 100% passing rate in the 2023 exams.
“There were a total of 1,743 students who sat for the exams. Of the number, 1,727 qualified for the certificate and 70 scored a CGPA result of 4.0,” he said.
In Perak, 98.2% of STPM candidates scored full passes, said state Education Department director Mohamad Fauzi Mahson.He said 3,012 out of 3,129 candidates obtained all passes compared with 3,357 (98.1%) candidates in 2022.
“There were 82 students who recorded a 4.0 CGPA, while 1,361 students achieved CGPA between 3.0 and 4.0,” he added.
Mohamad Fauzi said SMK Jalan Tasek in the Kinta district had the highest number of candidates with 4.0 CGPA (11 students).
“This is followed by two schools in Taiping – SMK King Edward VII with eight students and SMK St George with five,” he said.
“A total of 35 schools scored full passes in 2023, an increase of five schools compared with 30 schools in 2022,” he added.
In Sabah, less than 5% of the 7,982 STPM candidates passed all five subjects in 2023, but this was still better than 2022’s results, said state Education Department director Datuk Raisin Saidin.
He also said 99.99% of the candidates for 2023 managed to get their certificates.
Those who achieved 5As increased from three students in 2022 to seven students last year while 4A achievers rose from 72 to 123 candidates, he said, adding that 97% were from B40 families.
