theSun | WEDNESDAY MARCH 11 2009
news without borders
ANWAR FAIZ/THESUN
Top scorers from SMK Sultan Abdul Samad ... (from left)
Phang Lip Kent, Siew Kai Lee, Tzu Yang and Wei Nam
Straight As euphoria
in PJ school
by Chin Lee Kam
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PETALING JAYA: As the clock
struck 12, everyone was excited
with teachers discussing enthu-
siastically and students scream-
ing ecstatically as they peeked
through their result slips.
SMK Sultan Abdul Samad stu-
dents were mostly overjoyed with
their results despite the absence
of their top student, Neo Jia Hui,
the 5A’s scorer who was at the
Malaysian Examination Council
office in Selayang to receive the
Pelajar Cemerlang award (excel-
lent student award).
“I feel good and excited with
the results and I would like to
thank my parents and teachers
who have been working very
hard,” said 4A’s biology-chemistry
class scorer Kong Tzu Yang, 20.
Tzu Yang said group study
with friends had helped him a
lot.
Another 4A’s scorer from
science class, Adrian Loo Wei
Nam, 19, who has been having
sleepless nights the past week,
said he was relieved when the
results were out.
“A quotation I believe in is to
study hard, play hard and rest
hard,” said Wei Nam.
Loo Woei Hong, 20, the top
scorer from art class said he
believed in studying smart and
researching past year questions.
“I think I will go to a local univer-
sity for a course in accountancy,”
said Woei Hong.
SMK Sultan Abdul Samad is
one of the schools to provide five
subjects in STPM and most years
98% of its students pass STPM,
with approximately 95% entering
public and private universities.
Jia Hui is the second STPM
student from the school to
receive the Pelajar Cemerlang
award.
The first was Soo Kit Keong,
who received the award in
2005.
More STPM students opt
to answer in English
by Hemananthani Sivanandam
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: English was the
language of choice for 92.7% out of
53,638 students who took their Sijil
Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM)
in 2008 – an increase of 0.8% com-
pared to the previous year.
These students who sat for their
Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM)
Dzulkifli in 2006 were exempted from the
with the implementation of the policy to
selected top learn the subjects in English. They
10 STPM answered their SPM in the national
students language.
yesterday.
9
from rural areas who scored three
to five As were more compared
with science stream students in the
city (12.99%).
“This is the most unique feature
this time around,” said Dzulkifli.
Dzulkifli, who is also the chair-
The full implementation of the
policy to teach maths and science
in English for secondary schools
man of the Malaysian Examina-
tion Council, presented awards of
appreciation to 10 selected STPM
only took place in 2007.
In fact, there has been a steady
increase of STPM students who
candidates yesterday.
Five students from science
stream got As for their papers.
opted to answer in English. In 2006 There were a total of 13 papers for
and 2007, a total of 85.6% and 91.9% students in the science stream.
of students respectively answered Lim Chew Sia from Muar was
in English. selected as the best student for the
It is also interesting to note that rural area category.
36,470 (67.99%) of students were As an appreciation, the council
bumiputra candidates, 12,484 rewarded them RM1,000 each, a
(23.27%) were Chinese, 3,884 plaque and certificate of apprecia-
(7.24%) Indians and tion.
800 (1.49%) were Nur Aisyatul Radiah Alidaniah,
from other races. 20, who became blind when she
“By opting to was 15, was one of the four students
answer in English, it selected for the special candidates’
shows that they are category. She scored one A and
comfortable with three Bs. “My mum, although strict,
the language,” said helped me a lot,” she said.
Universiti Sains Partially blind Te Yu Tatt said
Malaysia (USM) there was a challenge in terms of
vice-chancellor resources for his studies. He said
Prof Tan Sri Datuk books that catered to students like
Dzulkifli Abdul him were difficult to find.
Razak. Neo Jia Hui, 19, the only girl
Last year’s from the five selected science
STPM results stream students who got all As in
also showed that their papers said quality studying
14.81% of science and proper time management con-
stream students tributed to her achievements.