BACHOK: Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) top scorer Muhammad Syahril Saidi, whose mother died recently, has received 10 offers to further his studies at the tertiary level and 10 offers of scholarships.
Syahril, who scored 11As in the examination, said the offers came from various agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
"Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God). I am touched by the overwhelming support from so many people.
"From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank each of them for their concerns and kindness. Only Allah will reward them.
"I also like to thank my siblings, family and relatives for their unwavering support in making it possible for me to do well in the examination," he told reporters today.
Syahril said he has yet to decide on the offers received.
"My ambition is to become a lecturer, and I will discuss with my family first before deciding which offer to accept. I will select the one that I think is best for me,
"I will also perform a special prayer to help me make such the decision," said the 18-year-old.
On his mother's last words to him, Syahril said: "Biarlah rahsia peribadi saya (Let it be my secret)."
Syahril also wanted to clear the air that he was not the only one taking care his late mother.
"It is not fair that I was the only one being highlighted here. They (my siblings) all have been taking care of my mother and we're at her side all the time," he added.
Syahril's mother Faridah Ismail, 54, died on Saturday night and buried at a cemetery in Kampung Padang Lati.
Since Faridah fell sick in 2019, her children had been taking care of her. The siblings lost their father seven years ago, and since then, they have relied on each other.
Syahril's story went viral when he could not take his SPM results as he was busy caring for his bedridden mother.
This led to his teachers from Sekolah Menengah Ugama (A) Darul Iman, Beris Lalang, going to his home to deliver his exam results.