JOHOR BARU: In under 60 seconds, five-year-old Uwais Mohammad Zulqarnain demonstrated an astonishing ability to accurately answer around 10 maths questions without the aid of a calculator.
Not only can he perform single-digit multiplication, but he can also read Spanish, Russian, and Jawi.
His mother, Surya Syafiqah A Rahim, 32, said Uwais, the eldest among two siblings, began mastering mathematics progressively from the age of four, initially grasping addition, subtraction, and multiplication.
Surya, who manages procurement at a private company, said Uwais can calculate numbers ranging from hundreds to trillions, and is also capable of working with powers and square roots.
She acknowledged that Uwais' abilities stem from both his dedication and the encouragement from her husband, Mohammad Zulqarnain Alan Zamirza, 33, an engineer who actively fosters their son's academic interests.
"We consistently introduce Uwais to numerical games, take him to bookstores, as well as have him accompany me while I read.
"We also enrolled him in reading and speech classes in the city.
"He has a keen interest in learning various languages, including Spanish and Russian, and he teaches himself using online resources with our supervision.
"Compared to playing video games on mobile phones, Uwais prefers to learn new things," she said.
Surya added that although Uwais was meant to attend a maths class for five-year-olds, his advanced understanding has led him to be placed in a class for six-year-olds.
"Typically, he answers a single mathematics question on single-digit multiplication within three to five seconds.
"I usually give him 20 questions and then take a short break, but he never gets bored; instead, he wants to try more questions," she added.
Surya said Uwais has already won several awards at his school, including awards for academic excellence and outstanding performance in maths.
"Alongside the exposure we provide, Uwais' diet significantly contributes to his mental strength, as he enjoys vegetables like broccoli, cucumber, carrots, and tomatoes, along with a variety of fruits in his daily meals.
"We hope his arithmetic skills continue to develop, enhancing his mastery of both mathematics and languages.
"Uwais' abilities are truly a gift from God; we are grateful and pray for his continued good health," she said when met at their home in Taman Pulai here.