Coming up with the longest kuih ketayap, the biggest vat of dodol, or largest mooncake are no longer considered the worthiest of Malaysian records to beat. No, the most enviable one now appears to be surpassing the previous person with the most number of As in what is now the sole measure of a student's worth — public examinations. CHOK SUAT LING talks to Low Keng Lok, chairman of high IQ society Malaysian Mensa who thinks it an unseemly pursuit, and 16 1A-holder Yeoh Jie Meng of Bukit Mertajam High School, who begs to differ.

LOW KENG LOK

Q: Should this pre-occupation with As be encouraged?

A: Personally, no. It does not mean anything to get so many As.

How many As does a student need to get into Form Six or college? You just need to get enough. I think 9As is enough.

You don’t need 16As to gain entrance to Form Six, or a college or school of choice.

What is a student trying to prove by taking so many subjects? Is he trying to prove he is smarter than his classmates?

There is no need for that. Some take chemistry, biology, physics, and then basic science, and English for science and technology.

Why take the basic subjects when you are already taking chemistry, biology and physics?

Q: Are As a guarantee someone will make it in life?

A: No. We should profile our chief executive officers, politicians, celebrities and other "successful" people to see how they did in their SPM. I am sure many did not have a lot of As. It cannot be just one factor.

There are many, many things that determine success. But then, success is relative. For some, success means having a lot of money, for others it is happiness.

Q: It is said that a high IQ is not sufficient, that a person needs to have a high Emotional Quotient (EQ).

A: EQ is what we call intra-personal and interpersonal intelligence. Those with high EQ are usually those who go far in life.

All politicians have good intra-personal and interpersonal skills. They speak and interact with people very well.

But it is possible that such people do not have high IQ. They may not do well in the Mensa admission test — which tests logical and visual intelligence.

Q: Does many As equal high IQ?

A: Those who score many As have a certain level of intelligence, otherwise they won’t get such a result. Conversely, it does not mean a person with high IQ will score many As.

Sometimes people who have high IQ are not in the league of high achievers. Performance in exams can be influenced by many other factors. Usually they are circumstantial.

A student may be having problems at home, he could have been drenched in the rain, or having a stomachache. Any of these could affect performance.

Q: Are top scorers Mensa members?

A: We do not have a database on top scorers but some are. Yeoh Jie Meng has been a member since 2005.

I have had calls to test another SPM top scorer, Nadia Amira Jamil who scored 19As.

Boy genius Chiang Ti Ming was also a member. (Chiang, who died early this year, made headlines in 1989 when, as a 12-year-old, he was accepted into the prestigious California Institute of Technology to study physics.)

Q: If a person fails the Mensa test, does that mean he is not intelligent?

A: We always tell the public that "if you do not get into Mensa, it does not mean you are not intelligent".

There are many kinds of intelligence. According to renowned psychologist Ho- ward Gardner who developed the theory of multiple intelligences, there are nine intelligences.

The Mensa test does not, among others, evaluate a person’s linguistic, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, or intra- personal and interpersonal skills.

For a comprehensive evaluation, one needs to see a psychologist. But the Mensa test is fairly accurate. It uses only graphics and pictures and is, therefore, culture- free.

It can even be used in non- English speaking countries.

Q: Should students strive to be all-rounders?

A: Yes, that would make him a better person. Even in Mensa, we do not concentrate on just "intellectual" activities.

We are normal people and not nerdy as many perceive. We have fun, go bowling, organise games for the children, and have makan sessions.

YEOH JIE MENG

Q: How many subjects did you take for the SPM?

A: I took 16.

Q: Why so many subjects?

A: For the challenge. I did not plan to take 16 subjects but when it came to registering for the exam, I decided it would be good for my future.

I was in the Science stream but took arts subjects related to commerce and accounts.

I want to be a cardiologist. My father is a paediatrician and I can see in his practice that knowledge of how things operate outside the doctor’s office is also important.

Commerce and accounts are useful.

I did not plan to break any record. In fact, I felt 16 subjects were not enough to break any record.

Q: Did your friends take so many subjects as well?

A: Most took between 10 and 12. I was the only one who took 16 subjects in my school.

I had to study some of the subjects on my own because the classes clashed with my science subjects.

I went for tuition for Principle of Accounts, Basic Economics and English Literature but for the rest I studied on my own.

My parents and teachers gave me a lot of support. My parents were not exactly shocked with my decision. I did quite well in my Penilaian Menengah Rendah exam.

I got seven As and was one of the nation’s top 25 students so they felt I could handle it.

Q: Do you think there are too many subjects on offer for the SPM?

A: It is good to be given so many choices by the Education Ministry but students should make the correct option.

They should choose subjects relevant to their future.

Q: Were you under a lot of pressure before the exam?

A: Not at all. I was consistent. I did constant revision over two years. For me, it is not the number of hours spent studying.

Two hours of quality studying is better than hitting the books for eight hours. I also study better on my own and am not into group studies.

Q: Are you active in co-curricular activities?

A: I am a state-level representative in bowling. I represent the school in athletics and long-distance running. I’m also a school representative in public speaking and debating.

But most of these activities were in Form Four. I concentrated on the SPM in Form Five.

Q: Would you encourage other students to take as many subjects as they can?

A: If they are interested and if they think it will help them, then they should go for it.

Q: Have you taken the Mensa test?

A: Yes. I have been a member since Form Four.

Q: What are your plans?

A: I will be applying for a Public Service Department scholarship.