Ace Student Madihah Motivates Students At MSAM 2009

JOHOR BAHRU, April 24 (Bernama) -- Top Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2008 student, Nik Nur Madihah Nik Mohd Kamal, 18, is looking to furthering her studies in physics at the Jordan University Science and Technology this September.

However, before furthering her studies, the ace student has been actively giving motivational talks to other students in Kelantan daily.

Friday, she was seen motivating students attending the ongoing Minggu Saham Amanah Malaysia (MSAM) 2009 here.

Nik Nur Madihah, who has received full scholarship from Bank Negara Malaysia, will be furthering her studies in the Middle East for four years, her father, Nik Mohd Kamal Hussein, told reporters during the MSAM event here.

"She will attend preparatory classes for Jordan at the Universiti Teknologi Mara in Shah Alam this May 23," he said.

At the MSAM 2009 here, Nik Nur Madihah spent an hour and half giving motivational talks to both students and other visitors to the investment week programme.

Her appearance at the MSAM 2009 exhibition, being held at the Padang Plaza Angsana here, was sponsored by Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) under its special programme with icons of inspiration.

The MSAM investment week is a social effort from PNB to educate the general public on investments and to encourage their active participation in the country's unit trust fund industry.

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Human Capital Crucial For Nation's Stability, Says Zeti

KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 (Bernama) -- Human capital development is crucial towards ensuring the nation's sustainable and equitable growth, especially during this tough times, says Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz.

"With new skills and expertise, we believe it will accelerate the creation of new technologies, innovations and products to impact upon and influence the nation's development," she said.

Dr Zeti said these challenging times called for not only an ability to be flexible and responsive but also have the foresight to take pre-emptive measures and to deal with the high degree of unpredictability.

"And at the same time navigate through these challenging circumstances," she said when speaking at Bank Negara's Kijang Emas scholarship presentation for the nation's top achievers of Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM).

Dr Zeti said the central bank was committed to develop human capital for the country.

Twenty-two students had received the scholarship since 2005.

In addition to the award, the central bank has been sponsoring other bright students for nearly 25 years.

"More than 1,500 students have been awarded the scholarship and are now actively contributing in various capacities to nation-building," she said.

The bank is also currently managing about 400 scholars who are studying in domestic and foreign universities.

The five Kijang Emas scholarship recipients today are Nik Nur Madihah Nik Mohd Kamal, who scored 20As in last year's SPM, Muneswaran Ganesan, Alifah Arina Mohd Khambari, Mohd Zulikhwan Ayub and Ho Ming Chuen.

Nik Nur Madihah will do her A-Levels in physics.

-- BERNAMA

Mara makes offer to student who scored 20As in SPM

It’s always nice to read a story of a student from a humble background made good. But this story is troubling on a couple of levels. Why is the Minister Noh Omar by passing the formalities of the interview and the form filling? Why do the rules apply to some and not to others? Also, what is the rush of sending this student to the UK to do her A-levels? It might be better for her to do her A-levels in Malaysia as she might suffer a culture shock in the UK. Of course, we remember the disparity in treatment between this case and the case of the late Chiang Ti-Ming who received no help from the governement whatsoever.

Be that as it may, I wish Nik Nur all the best in her studies.

Monday March 16, 2009
Mara makes offer to student who scored 20As in SPM

KUALA LUMPUR: Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) has offered the nation’s top SPM scorer Nik Nur Madihah Nik Mohd Kamal a convertible loan for her to pursue her studies overseas.

Nik Nur Madihah, who scored 19 1As and one 2A, will be sent to do her A-Levels in Britain if she accepts the offer.

Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister Datuk Noh Omar said Mara-sponsored students under an excellent student scheme would usually have to pass A-Levels exams in the country before they were sent abroad.

“This is a special case. I’ve met with Nik Nur Madihah, her father and her guidance teacher. She is an exceptional student who has proven that poverty is not an obstacle for success,” he said yesterday.

Noh added that the 18-year-old student will bypass interviews and form-filling process for the loan that will be offered to her today.

“We will take care of her accommodation and college there in Bri­tain,” he said, adding that the student had expressed interest to study physics in London.

It was learnt that another organisation has also made an offer to Nik Nur Madihah.

“It will be her choice,” Noh said.

Nik Nur Madihah, the daughter of a fisherman and a cleaner from Kampung Parang Puting, near Pantai Sabak, in Kota Baru, Kelantan, is the eldest of four siblings.

She has an excellent academic track record by scoring 5As in UPSR, 9As in PMR and 20As in last year’s SPM.

Mara Offers Loan To High Achiever Nik Nur Madihah

KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 (Bernama) -- Mara is offering a full loan to Nik Nur Madihah Nik Mohd Kamal, 18, who scored 20A in last year's Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination, Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister Datuk Noh Omar said.

"We are treating this as a special case and we are sending her to do an 'A' level in London," he told reporters after launching the "one family, one enterprise" at the Putra World Trade Centre here.

"This student excels in her study and has been consistent in achieving high grades since she was in primary school," he said.

Noh said the offer letter would be handed over to Nik Nur Madihah next week.

He also hoped that Nik Nur Madihah's success would spur her siblings to similarly excel in their studies and help the family break away from the circle of poverty.

In a related development, Nik Nur Madihah has also been offered a house worth RM130,000 and cash of RM5,000 by the Kelantan state government.

The cash was presented by Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat who visited Nik Nur Madihah's family at Kampung Parang Punting, Pengkalan Chepa.

Pengkalan Chepa Umno had also offered to help Nik Nur Madihah's family to pay their house rent arrears.

Meanwhile, Noh said members of the public who wish to apply for business loans through the ministry's agencies would be required to set up a company first before their application could be considered for approval.

He said the cabinet would discuss the details of the requirement next week.

-- BERNAMA

Mara makes offer to student who scored 20As in SPM

KUALA LUMPUR: Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) has offered the nation’s top SPM scorer Nik Nur Madihah Nik Mohd Kamal a convertible loan for her to pursue her studies overseas.

Nik Nur Madihah, who scored 19 1As and one 2A, will be sent to do her A-Levels in Britain if she accepts the offer.

Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister Datuk Noh Omar said Mara-sponsored students under an excellent student scheme would usually have to pass A-Levels exams in the country before they were sent abroad.

“This is a special case. I’ve met with Nik Nur Madihah, her father and her guidance teacher. She is an exceptional student who has proven that poverty is not an obstacle for success,” he said yesterday.

Noh added that the 18-year-old student will bypass interviews and form-filling process for the loan that will be offered to her today.

“We will take care of her accommodation and college there in Bri­tain,” he said, adding that the student had expressed interest to study physics in London.

It was learnt that another organisation has also made an offer to Nik Nur Madihah.

“It will be her choice,” Noh said.

Nik Nur Madihah, the daughter of a fisherman and a cleaner from Kampung Parang Puting, near Pantai Sabak, in Kota Baru, Kelantan, is the eldest of four siblings.

She has an excellent academic track record by scoring 5As in UPSR, 9As in PMR and 20As in last year’s SPM.

Nik Nur Madihah can get the best here

hat we in Malaysia have excellent colleges with world-class facilities offering A-levels makes this offer unnecessary.

Every year, thousands of students are offered overseas scholarships to further their tertiary education and all of them are required to undergo a preparatory programme or a foundation course locally before going overseas.

I, being one of them, can testify that the A-level colleges in Malaysia are of reputable standard.

This can be seen when these colleges advertise their top students who have achieved world-class results. In fact, some of these colleges focus mainly on students who are sponsored under a scholarship-providing body.

If this is the case, the decision to send just one student overseas for the foundation programme would defeat the purpose of these colleges. It would seem unfair to single out a student and give her special treatment.

Doing A-levels in the UK would cost between RM150,000 and RM200,000 per student.

The same amount of money can be used to sponsor three to five students locally. How does Mara see this as advantageous for society, especially during a global recession?

Past Present: It was a miracle of sorts that I beat the odds...

What can you say about the tenacity and time-management of Nik Nur Madihah Nik Mohd Kamal, the daughter of a fisherman?

She became the top scorer with 20 As, and certainly deserves praise. The Sekolah Menengah (Agama) Maahad Muhammadi Kota Baru student scored 19 1As and one 2A.
Nur Madina stands as yet another beacon to the fact that poverty is not an excuse for not being able to achieve success.

High achiever undecided

KOTA BARU: With too many offers to study abroad, Nik Nurmadihah Nik Mohd Kamal, who obtained 20 As in the 2008 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination, is undecided where to go to pursue her studies.

The 20-year-old former student of Sekolah Menengah Agama Maahad Muhammadi said the offers she received were from renowned universities.

"I have received many offers of sponsorship for my studies and am still thinking which to accept," she said on Sunday.

The offers for sponsorship included those from Bank Negara, the Public Service Department, Majlis Amanah Rakyat and Petronas.

Nurmadihah is keeping herself busy by giving talks to students at motivational programmes.
"This is my contribution in appreciation of, and as a way of saying thank you, to all who encouraged me to do well in my studies." -- Bernama

SPM 2008: Record 20 As for top scorer student

The 18-year-old student of SM (Agama) Maahad Muhammadi Kota Baru obtained 19 1As and one 2A.

The eldest of four siblings, from Kampung Parang Puting near Pantai Sabak, said the three-day SKOR seminar, organised by Berita Harian which she attended last year, helped her a lot in answering questions on subjects such as Mathematics, Science and Bahasa Melayu.

"I did not miss any tuition classes and group studies which the school organised as I could not afford to take private tuition with my parents small income."

Her father is a fisherman and her mother is a cleaner.

Her results were announced by state Islamic Development, Education and Dakwah Committee chairman Mohd Amar Abdullah at the school yesterday.

Nik Nur Madihah said her father, Nik Mohd Kamal Husin, 42, and mother Mariani Omar, 40, had also encouraged her to do well.

"I plan to further my studies overseas so that I can help my parents and my siblings in the future."

Akira Wong Neng Chun, of SMK Tung Hua in Sibu, scored 16 As, as did best friends Lim Shu Yong and Tan Chin Huat of SMJK Yoke Kuan in Sekinchan.

Bernama reports that Lim and Tan attributed their success to the fact that they had done revision together and paid attention in class.

TOP STUDENT: A mentor should help her decide

I CONGRATULATE Nik Nor Madihah Nik Mohd Kamal for being the top scorer in the SPM examination with 19 1As and 2A.

That the fisherman's daughter did it without the benefit of extra tuition makes her success all that much sweeter.

She rightly deserves the scholarship offers from Mara, Bank Negara and Petronas to further her studies overseas. But, give her time and space to weigh the options before making a decision.

As a mother, I know what's on the mind of this mature, down-to-earth girl.

Will she be able to cope in a country and course of study in a medium of instruction she is unfamiliar and uncomfortable with since she had studied in an Islamic school?
Not to mention the cultural shock.

In the meantime, the intended sponsors should appoint a mentor to talk to her, her parents and her teachers. If she still wants to do physics in Egypt as she had said earlier, please grant her that wish.

Bank Negara, which usually sponsors the creme de la creme of high achievers, had given a similar scholarship to Nur Amalina Che Bakri, the SPM top scorer in 2004 to do A-Levels in the United Kingdom. She was sent for an intensive course at the British Council before leaving and her mother even got to accompany her to Britain.

Madihah should be given the same preferential treatment. In fact, she needs it more.

Nik Nur Madihah can do A-levels in UK

The loan will enable the 18-year-old to study A-levels at any institution of her choice in the United Kingdom.

Currently, those on Mara loans have to take up A-levels locally before continuing their studies overseas.

They also need to go through interviews before they can qualify for the loan.

Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister Datuk Noh Omar said the normal process was waived for Nik Nur Madihah because of her excellent results.

"I've decided to give her this privilege, not because she is from a poor family but because she has consistently shown good results in her studies.

"She has proved that poverty is not an obstacle to success. We hope this will motivate her younger siblings to study hard. This will also motivate the poor. If they work hard enough, educational opportunities are available to them," he said after launching the "One Family One Company" campaign at Putra World Trade Centre yesterday.

Noh said the loan would be converted to a full scholarship if Nik Nur Madihah continued to excel in her studies.

He said an officer from Mara would present her an offer letter soon.