JITRA: Nur Irdina Sharmimi Talib achieved excellent results in her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination, earning 8As in what she called a "surprising" turn of events.
Rather than crow about it, however, the former SMK Sultanah Asma student showed her humble side, saying that the results were a reward for taking care of her parents, both of whom have chronic illnesses.
She said her 55-year-old mother, Ismarina Ali, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, while her father Talib Hanafi, 58, has a history of coronary disease, and was only discharged from hospital a few days ago after suffering a third heart attack.
Ismarina, in fact, also had to undergo eye surgery last year and in the midst of preparations for the most important examination in her young life so far, Nur Irdina had to accompany her mother at the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Star.
"Perhaps this is a reward for me as I achieved 8As in my SPM even though I faced challenges when my parents were sick while I was preparing for the examination last year," said Nur Irdina.
She said, as the youngest of four siblings, it was her responsibility to take care of her parents.
This, she added, included cooking and cleaning the house because her parents cannot do heavy work.
"Every day I divided my time between studying and taking a half-hour break before continuing to study, and most importantly, I never miss my prayers," she said when met at her home in Kampung Kelubi.
"I was surprised when I received the SPM 2023 results online as I didn't expect to achieve such excellent results.
"I hope to continue my studies at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) or Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) and aspire to become an accountant."
Ismarina said she was grateful because her daughter succeeded in achieving excellent results despite spending a lot of time taking care of her when she was hospitalised.
Meanwhile, Cancer Survivors Malaysia (CSM) chairman and founder Zuraini Kamal celebrated Nur Irdina's success by presenting her with cash, a bouquet of flowers, and a cake.
She said that CSM would give the student a laptop if she received an offer to further her studies to a higher level.
"CSM will indeed assist students whether they are patients or children of cancer patients who are less fortunate.
"We understand that they spend a lot of money on cancer treatment, and this is the only way CSM can help alleviate their burden," she said.