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[VIDEO] Malay Student Gets 5 Top Honours At Penang Chinese High School

Well done, Ahmad Khidir!

Cover image via @itsazzahraaa (TikTok)

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A Form 5 Malay student has gone viral for receiving five top awards at a national Chinese high school in George Town, Penang

Ahmad Khidir Ahmad Nazri proved that hard work pays off at the SMJK Heng Ee graduation ceremony last Saturday, 23 November.

The 17-year-old walked onstage to receive multiple accolades, including first place in his class, first place in his year, top scorer in Bahasa Melayu and Islamic Studies, the Deputy Head Prefect award, and the prestigious Student of the Year Award for his for his all-round outstanding performance in school.

His accomplishments were posted on TikTok by his proud sister @itsazzahraaa.

"So proud of you, brother! Fly high and higher! Do your best for SPM," she wished in the video that has since garnered over 1.3 million views and immense praise from social media users.

In his acceptance speech, the top student thanked his teachers, family, and friends for helping him achieve this honour

"In the past five years, I have learned the sense of responsibility and the spirit of teamwork. These experiences have taught me that hard work and persistence are the keys to success.

"I hope my juniors will remember that difficulties are only temporary, and as long as you persist, you will definitely see the results," said the senior.

Since the event, Ahmad Khidir said he is very grateful for the recognition from the school and is touched by the response the video has received on social media

"I am truly touched because so many people are praying for me, and I wish success to everyone, especially my fellow SPM candidates," he said in an interview with Harian Metro, adding that achieving such results was not easy, given the immense competition at school.

"It's definitely tough to reach this level because there are only about 30 Malay students in this school, and we have to compete with other students," he said.

"But I'm grateful to have achieved 7As in my SPM trial exams, including Bahasa Melayu (A+), English (A), Islamic Studies (A+), History (A-), Mathematics (A-), Science (A), and Economics (A), while I received Bs for Accounts and Mandarin.

"My goal, of course, is to get 9A+ in the upcoming SPM," he added.

The Form 5 student further shared that he had no background in Mandarin, but his mother was determined to send him to a Chinese-language kindergarten for a different experience from his siblings

"I'm the youngest of six siblings and the only one sent to a Chinese-medium school," he explained.

"It was difficult at first because I had no foundation, and I was shy to speak Mandarin with the neighbours. But over time, I grew more confident."

The hardworking student has since excelled in school, achieving top results in UPSR, as well as continued to place first in class throughout high school.

Ahmad Khidir said he is also active in extracurricular activities, holding positions such as vice chairman in the Police Cadet Corps, Crime Prevention Club, and Choir Group, in addition to being involved in athletics.

Watch Ahmad Khidir receive his awards and give his acceptance speech here:

@itsazzahraaa

So proud of you brother! Fly high and higher #brother #highschool @Khidir do your best for SPM!

original sound - nde - nde
@itsazzahraaa

Replying to @Jennie ini full video speech adik saya hope dapat memberi inspirasi untuk semua adik adik dan ibu bapa di luar sana #highschool #brother #hengee

original sound - Fatimahazzahra - Fatimahazzahra

Chinese vernacular schools have seen an increase in the enrolment of Bumiputera students over the past 10 years:

Check out these other Malaysian students who've made us proud this year:

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