Pillars of strength: Veveonah (centre) sharing the story of her success with her parents, Rofinah (left) and Mosibin. — Photo credit Veveonah Mosibin’s Facebook
KOTA KINABALU: From the tree top to the operating theatre, Veveonah Mosibin has set her sights on greater heights.
The farmer’s daughter, who rose to fame in 2020 with her viral 11-minute video, “24 Hours on a Tree”, where she camped atop a tree to secure Internet access for an online exam, has decided to follow her true passion – medicine – even though she graduated with a marine science degree.
“I aim to work as a medical officer for a few years before specialising.
“I hope to become a surgeon.
“For now, I’m focusing on preparing myself mentally and physically for the challenges ahead,” said the Sabahan who has been pursuing a five-year medical programme at the Management and Science University (MSU) in Shah Alam since Oct 1 last year.
She attributed the supportive environment and friendships she has built with hardworking peers to keeping her motivated.
More importantly, the 23-year-old said it’s her parents’ encouragement and her elder siblings’ achievements that have inspired her educational journey.
Born to farmer Mosibin Makrun and housewife Rofinah Ungo, Veveonah is the youngest of five siblings.
Her eldest brother is self-employed, managing land and farming, while her second brother works as a senior chef at a restaurant in Genting Highlands.
“My sister, the third in the family, is a nurse at a private oncology hospital in Petaling Jaya, and the brother before me is a manager at the Dorsett Hotel in Labuan,” she said proudly.
About five years ago, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Veveonah’s tree-top story went viral, prompting the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to upgrade Internet infrastructure in her village – Kampung Sapatalang – in the northern town of Pitas, which is about 170km from Kota Kinabalu.
Today, the villagers enjoy better connectivity – an unexpected but positive outcome of her efforts.
However, she admitted that the sudden fame, coupled with the challenges of the pandemic, took a toll on her mental health at the time.
She shared that an unstable mental state and depression once led her to make choices that did not reflect her true passions.
Although initially excited about marine science, Veveonah said she lost interest during the pandemic due to online learning, which lacked the hands-on experience crucial to the field.
In 2021, she realised her true calling was medicine but decided to complete her marine science degree to fulfil her scholarship contract.
“Thankfully, I have recovered now. I didn’t expect the video to go viral.
“There was a lot of cyberbullying, with some calling me an attention seeker.
“While it brought both pros and cons, I chose to focus on the positives.
“People would recognise me, and I would respond with kindness, but I never felt special or different.
“I was just happy to have contributed to my community in some way,” she said.
The alumna of Mara Junior Science College in Sandakan studied for her marine science programme at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) before serving as an intern at UMS Aquarium and Marine Museum.
Last month, she returned to UMS to collect her scroll, accompanied by her parents.
Despite her achievements, the avowed cat lover remains grounded.
“I am always grateful for what God has given me. But I know this is just the beginning of my medical school journey.
“I pray for strength and blessings to get through it, as I always have,” she said.
Looking ahead, Veveonah hopes to return to Pitas to serve her community.
“That’s the plan. I can just drive to work from home. It will be a short trip to my village,” she said with a smile.
She also hopes to bring positive changes to the healthcare system in Pitas by improving medical facilities and management.
