This 65-Year-Old Pak Cik From Negeri Sembilan Is Sitting For SPM For The 1st Time
This time around, he will be sitting for the Bahasa Melayu, English, and History papers.
By Arisha Rozaidee — 23 Feb 2021, 02:52 PM
Determined to prove that age should not be a barrier in the pursuit of knowledge, a 65-year-old man in Negeri Sembilan decided to sit for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination
According to Utusan Malaysia, Salman Ahmad is among 645 private candidates sitting for SPM in Negeri Sembilan this year. In total, there are 16,554 SPM candidates in the state who began the examination yesterday, 22 February.
Salman retired in 2012 and was the former deputy director of Tourism Malaysia. He said the decision was made because he wanted to prove to society, especially the young, that age is not a barrier for individuals to acquire knowledge and achieve success.
This is the first time the father of two would be sitting for SPM
He told Bernama, "I first took the Malaysia Certificate of Education (MCE) examination in 1973, all the subjects were in English, then I continued my studies at the Institut Teknologi MARA in the field of Public Administration. So now, I want to take up the challenge of sitting for the SPM as well.
Speaking to reporters after sitting for the English Paper 1 at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan King George V, he said, "I also want to set an example and be a motivation to my grandchildren. Age is no barrier to learning, the pursuit of knowledge is a lifelong process."
He then assured that his family gave him a lot of support and encouragement. "I am not shy, I am not surprised by what people say. As the saying goes - you're never too old to learn, there is no end to it - from the cradle to the grave," he added.
Salman planned to sit for the public examination last year but had to postpone his intention following the COVID-19 outbreak
He explained that he bought revision books last year and his younger brother, who was a teacher, guided him. He also underwent online learning.
This time around, he will be sitting for the Bahasa Melayu, English, and History papers. He also noted that he intends to take the other subjects next year if he gets excellent results in this exam.
