PETRA JAYA: Philip Ting Kin Tien, a visually impaired student from SMK Sungai Maong, relied on his hearing and memory to help him excel in his studies and prepare for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.
The 17-year-old student, whose vision is limited to 2-3cm, scored 4A+, 3As and 2A- in the SPM.
“Most of the time, I can’t see what had been written on the blackboard. I would listen carefully to what was thought in class and try to memorise it at that instant,” he said when met after a ceremony to announce the SPM results for students in Sarawak, which was held at the State Education Department headquarters here today.
“I can only read books for 30 minutes at a time before my vision started to become blurry again. I would rest for 15 minutes and continue with my revision.
“However, I am glad to score such a result. I had never expected to receive such good results since there were a lot of things that I had to go through,” he added.
For Delree Arffel Jeffery Aba, meanwhile, his 10-hour trip from his home in Kapit to the department’s headquarters was worth the journey when he scored 6A+, 1A and 2A- in the SPM.
Delree of SM Sains Kuching said he was puzzled to receive a call from the department to collect his results from its headquarters.
“I thought there was a problem with my result but it turned out the other way around. I am very grateful and can’t wait to share this good news with my family,” he said.
A total of 15 students in the state scored A+ in all subjects. A total of 37,488 candidates in Sarawak sat for the examination last year.