SARIKEI: Growing up in a low income family has motivated Chong Li Ping to study harder, as she is bent to improve the lot of her family.
The 15-year-old said her father, who works as a farmer, had repeatedly stressed the importance of education as it is the only tool that can put her on the path to a promising career.
"Farming isn't an easy job and I have always wanted to help but my dad would never allow it as he wants me to focus on my studies.
“My mom, a homemaker, will make sure I finish my homework and revise," she said.
"Sometimes, it is heart breaking to see my dad returning home, visibly tired, to raise his family and ensure I get what I needed for school," she said.
Chong, who is a student at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Sungai Paoh, scored 8As and 2Bs in her Form Three Assessment (PT3).
"This (result) is for my parents. Without them, I would not be able to achieve this," she said when met at the school.
The eldest among two siblings added that to be born in a low-income family should never be an excuse for not working hard in school.
"Since my father's income wasn't much and I don't want to add on to his burden, I would do my revision and seek help from my teachers and friends, instead of going for tuition classes," she said.
She spent about five to six hours a day studying when the examination was around the corner, for all subjects.
"I put in the same effort in all subjects, which is to do my best. Before I can choose what I love, I must do what I need first.
So, I know I need to study hard now for all subjects, so that I can choose a course that I prefer in the future," she added.
Chong, who wants to be in the medical field in the future, said PT3 was just the beginning and her next challenge will be the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM).
"It's not the time for me to take a break or relax yet as I'm still far from my goal," she said.