Bright young minds: Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi with (from left) Lee, Muhammad Fauzi and Laxmann.
JOHOR BARU: It was a proud moment for M. Laxmann when he received the “Top in the World’ award after scoring a perfect 100% in Mathematics in the A-Level examination.
The 19-year-old, who got the award from the Cambridge Assessment International Education Board, said the day became even more special as it coincided with his parents’ wedding anniversary.
“The award ceremony was held on Nov 28, which happens to be my parents’ 20th wedding anniversary.
“It was such a great coincidence. In a way, this is my gift to two of the most important people in my life,” he said when contacted.
Laxmann also received outstanding results in other subjects, achieving 97% in Chemistry and 93% in Physics.
The eldest of three siblings said that although he aimed to do well in the examination, he did not expect to get 100% in Mathematics.
“I did my best and was very careful when answering each question as I know that it is normal for us as humans to make mistakes. So, I did not expect to get 100% for Mathematics,” he said.
He recalled that he had spotted a mistake when he went through his answers in the test and corrected it.
“I guess luck had something to do with it as I could have easily missed that mistake,” said the former Sultan Abu Bakar College student.
State education and information committee chairman Aznan Tamin shared Laxmann’s achievement in a Facebook post on Nov 28.
The teen, one of the top Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) scorers in 2022 with straight 12A+, is among three recipients of the Orang Muda Johor scholarship.
The scholarship, established in 2023 by the Yayasan Pelajaran Johor, is part of the state government’s initiative to get bright students in Johor into the top 20 universities in the world.
In his post, Aznan congratulated two other Orang Muda Johor recipients, Muhammad Fauzi Syahmi and Lee Chong Ming, who had excelled in their A-Levels examination as well.
Muhammad Fauzi, who scored 91% in Mathematics, Chemistry (90%), Economics (86%) and Physics (86%), said he is grateful for the good outcome.
“The expectation is for us to get into the world’s top universities. I hope to be able to maintain this good performance and get into Imperial College London,” he said.
Lee, who scored 94% in Mathematics, Chemistry (96%) and Physics (96%), said that one of the ways he studied was by guiding his friends.
“To me, it was a good way to refresh the things I have learned in class,” he said.
The three boys, who are the first batch of the Orang Muda Johor recipients, are currently studying at Kolej Yayasan UEM under a full scholarship.
Upon completing their A-Levels, the state government will continue funding their studies until they complete their first degree in one of the top 20 universities.
Those interested in learning more about the scholarship can visit https://portal.ypj.gov.my/biasiswa-orang-muda-johor/ for more information.
