KUALA LUMPUR: Muhammad Asif Mohd Fahmi, awarded the Gold Award at the 14th Convocation of the Education Ministry's Institute of Teacher Education (IPGM) this year, aspires to nurture students who excel academically, physically, spiritually, and emotionally.
Speaking after the convocation ceremony, the 23-year-old expressed his goal of educating a well-rounded and high-quality generation through a diversified approach to holistic growth.
Asif, who excelled in sports (football), uniformed units, and leadership, was selected to further his studies at the Temenggong Ibrahim Campus (KTI) IPG in Johor Baru in Physical Education.
Despite entering through the "Special Lane for Sports," he also achieved academic excellence, being named Best Student of the Physical Education Option for 2020 and earning the Director's Award each semester.
His leadership qualities led to his election as the head of the KTI IPG Student Representative Committee for the 2022/2023 session and as one of the Top 7 IPGM Committee heads for the same session.
Reflecting on his success, Muhammad Asif, now stationed at SK Menjelara, Kepong, shared that his secret to managing time and commitments was planning his daily schedule in advance.
"Each day, I prepare my schedule for the next day. I'm busy with training at the IPGM Campus in the morning, football training in the evening, and academic assignments at night," he said.
He also spoke of the sacrifices he made, such as shortening holidays to focus on campus assignments.
"While my friends returned home for two weeks, I spent only one week with my family and the other week on campus to complete academic commitments," he explained.
Despite the pressure, especially when he first took on leadership roles, he credited his family's support and his sense of responsibility as a teacher for helping him persevere.
"Alhamdulillah, I am thankful to my parents for their moral support," said Muhammad Asif, who is now prepared to cultivate students proficient in academics and active in co-curricular activities.
Meanwhile, Jasmine Tay Jing Xuan, the recipient of the Special Co-Curricular Award, expressed pride and gratitude for her recognition.
"All my efforts over the last five years have paid off. I am thankful to the Malaysian government, Education Ministry, IPGM, and IPGMKTI," she said.
Jasmine, based at a school in Pontian, Johor, hopes to introduce wushu there, a sport she has been passionate about since her youth.
Born in Negri Sembilan, Jasmine started representing the state in wushu in 2012 and made her international debut for Malaysia at age 13.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, officiating at the ceremony, said that around 6,000 IPGM graduates had been placed as teachers nationwide before the IPG Convocation Ceremony on Sept 30.
"This is a success of the Madani government in ensuring early job opportunities for graduates. These new teachers have also received their first salary," she said.
She added that IPG graduates have begun their roles as teachers in primary and secondary schools, with placements made to meet the nationwide demand for teachers, ensuring quality education for all students.
Additionally, some graduates have completed their Postgraduate Diploma Programme in Education (PDPP) for secondary school teaching, showcasing the government's commitment to high-quality educators.
The five-day 14th Ministry of Education IPG Convocation Ceremony, which began on Nov 3, involves 6,382 graduates who have completed studies and teacher training at 28 IPG campuses and English Teaching Centres. – Bernama
