A 17-year-old Malay student has captured national attention after a video of him receiving five top awards at a prestigious Chinese-medium school went viral.
Ahmad Khidir Ahmad Nazri, a student at SMJK Heng Ee (Main Campus), emphasised the value of his experience in a Chinese-medium school and encouraged others to be bold in learning new languages.
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Ahmad Khidir Ahmad Nazri, a student at SMJK Heng Ee (Main Campus), emphasised the value of his experience in a Chinese-medium school and encouraged others to be bold in learning new languages.
Read more at https://tinyurl.com/bde8zfjm
WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news
SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar
LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline
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NewsTranscript
00:00A 17-year-old Malay student has captured national attention after a video of him receiving five
00:12top awards at a national Chinese school went viral.
00:16Ahmad Qadir, Ahmad Nazri, a student at SMJK Heng E, main campus, earned accolades including
00:24Student of the Year, first place in his class, and first place in the art stream.
00:29He also received awards for achieving the highest marks in Bahasa Melayu and Islamic
00:34Studies.
00:35His journey is remarkable as the youngest of six siblings and the only one in his family
00:40to attend a Chinese medium school.
00:43Raised by a single mother, Ahmad Qadir's path to success was shaped by determination and
00:49family support.
00:50I'm the only one in the family who learned Chinese, and it's actually an experimental
00:56experience for my mom, because my other siblings have gone to many different schools before,
01:01such as the Penang Sports School, Mutiara Imtian, and also the school, Skoda Technik,
01:08and also the convent, Green Lane.
01:10So actually they have tried many other schools before, so for me as the youngest, she wanted
01:15to try something new, and also she wanted something beneficial for my future.
01:20He shared that it took three years to become fluent in Mandarin, attributing his achievement
01:25to his mother's dedication.
01:27Despite not knowing Mandarin herself, his mother, a clerk at a private company, enrolled
01:33him in a Chinese medium kindergarten.
01:35She diligently checked his homework, often asking the help from others to ensure everything
01:40was correct.
01:42Today, Ahmad Qadir stands out as one of 35 Malay students in a school with 1,970 pupils.
01:51Despite attending a Chinese medium school, Ahmad Qadir loves his mother tongue and has
01:55excelled in public speaking competitions.
01:59Despite the challenges he faced, the 17-year-old has excelled both academically and in extracurricular
02:05activities, holding positions such as deputy head prefect, vice president of the choir
02:10club, and vice president of the police cadet corps.
02:15His proficiency in Mandarin has earned admiration from both peers and teachers.
02:19Ahmad Qadir expressed gratitude for the support he received from classmates, noting that they
02:25never made him feel out of place despite cultural differences.
02:29It can also broaden my horizons actually because I get to know more about the Chinese culture.
02:34Such as example, my friend has invited me over to her house to celebrate the Chinese
02:38New Year celebration before, and honestly it opens up my eyes more about the Chinese
02:43culture and I learn many new things that I don't know.
02:46In return, he often helped his friends with subjects like Bahasa Melayu, fostering a spirit
02:52of mutual learning.
02:54His friend and fellow prefect Tan Boon Pin praised Ahmad Qadir's accomplishments.
03:17Mathematics teacher Lim Fong Mei described Ahmad Qadir as a dedicated student who eagerly
03:24asks questions and helps peers with challenging topics.
03:28Reflecting on his journey, Ahmad Qadir encourages others to be bold in learning new languages,
03:33emphasizing that perseverance and support can lead to remarkable success.
03:46The problem with many people is that they are afraid of making mistakes,
03:50afraid that they will speak incorrectly, afraid that they will pronounce incorrectly.
03:53Actually, I am like that sometimes.
03:55But with these experiences, these teachers, my family, my mother,
04:00even though she doesn't know what I'm talking about in my Chinese class,
04:03she will ask her friends how to do this thing.
04:06But with these experiences, she will make me work harder,
04:13make me speak more bravely.
04:16And when I speak incorrectly, she will correct me.
04:18She will correct my mistakes.
04:20And from then on, there will be results.