GEORGE TOWN: Tested with the death of his father on the day he sat for his final paper is no obstacle for Na Yong Sik, 24, to excel and emerge as the Chancellor's Gold Award recipient in conjunction with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)'s 59th convocation ceremony.
When met today, Na said he received news of his father's passing due to Covid-19 about 5am on July 21, last year, the same day he was scheduled to sit for his final paper for the subject of Advance Process Safety at 3pm online.
''I drove home to Klang immediately after getting that dreaded call. Everything happened in the blink of an eye because when my father was admitted, he was in Category 3.
"Nevertheless, I still decided to sit for my final exam on the same day because I feel that it is also my father's wish that his children succeed even though he is no longer with us," he said when met at USM's Minden campus here.
The 59th USM convocation ceremony will begin tomorrow until May 31 (a total of 11 sessions) at the Dewan Tuanku Syed Putra (DTSP) here.
A total of 6,706 graduates will receive their respective degrees including Honorary Degrees (two), Professor Emeritus (five), Doctorates in Philosophy and Master's Degree (2,231), Bachelor's Degrees (4,475) and Diploma in Nursing (50).
Na, who is a Bachelor of Engineering graduate, said he managed to get an A in the Advance Process Safety subject even though he sat for the exam while receiving the saddest news of his life.
"I'm sure my late father must be very proud of my success because he and my mother, Tan Lih Cin, 48, have always been my motivation throughout my time as a student.
"They both never forced me and my four other brothers and sisters to study. What they wanted was for their children to be happy with what they were doing," he added.
Na, who now works as an engineer at an international company in Singapore, said he and his brother also did not allow their mother to work again as an accountant at a logistics company owned by their late father because they wanted their mother to rest.
Meanwhile, another outstanding USM graduate, Syazwan Izman Shairunizam, 24, who received the Royal Education Award by the Council of Rulers of Malaysia (best student in the Bumiputera category), said he was not too stressed during his studies because he was also an active member of clubs and associations at USM.
Syazwan Izman, who is currently working as an engineer, said that community activities could actually shape students to be more confident when they are at work.
"The process of learning and being active in activities must be balanced because it can make students more competitive and creative at the same time. I hope the students who are still at the university can make the most of the time available," he said.