PADANG BESAR: Former Royal Malaysian Navy sailor Hamidan Yahaya, 59, is the embodiment of the saying "seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave".
While his peers might prefer to relax at home, he pursued education, retaking the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination for the second time since he was a schoolboy in 1982.
Hamidan, who is now a civilian driver for the Defence Ministry at the Territorial Army's 504th Regiment at the Bukit Keteri Camp, earned a B+ in Science after sitting for the SPM in 2023.
The previous year, he sat for the Mathematics paper and earned an A.
"Many people ask me why I still want to take the SPM at my age. My simple answer is that I want to set an example for my children and grandchildren, showing them that learning never stops, regardless of age.
"The achievement of getting a B+ in Science was beyond my expectations since I studied on my own, using Science exercise books bought by my child and doing frequent practice.
"My duties as a driver at the camp made it difficult for me to attend extra classes. So, I took the initiative to study on my own and registered for the SPM exam independently at the state Education Department," he said when met.
Hamidan said he burned the midnight oil at his home in Jejawi, Arau, to study and review Science since it was challenging to find time during the day due to his employment and family duties.
"Furthermore, I prefer to take each subject gradually each year because focusing on many subjects at once is difficult. What makes me proud is that my wife and children never discouraged or belittled my desire to retake the SPM.
"They continue to encourage me to study again because they see it as a noble effort to improve myself academically.
"Back in 1982, I only achieved Grade Three, but I managed to get an A in Islamic Education. Now, I see this as the time to improve on the subjects I was weak in back then to achieve better results now," he said.
Hamidan said he could still adapt to the current syllabus since he was a Science stream student in SMK Syed Alwi in Kangar in 1982.
"There is no real problem keeping up with the new syllabus compared to my time, but one still needs to be quick to grasp the new material.
"I've gained a lot of experience taking SPM in the past two years, especially since many other candidates thought I was there to drop off my children or grandchildren, but it was actually me taking the exam," he said.
Hamidan, who is originally from Kuala Perlis, is married with five children aged between 20 and 32, and three grandchildren.
He said he plans to register again for SPM this year for Islamic Education, Geography and History.