BUKIT MERTAJAM: A father and daughter shared a heartwarming milestone when they both achieved outstanding results in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination announced today, with the father scoring 7As and his youngest daughter earning 11As.
R. Baskaran, 58, chose to sit for the exam alongside his daughter, B. Dannya, 18, to prove that age is no obstacle to learning and to inspire the younger generation on the value of lifelong education.
Baskaran, who is currently working as a medical supervisor at Penang General Hospital (HPP), is passionate about education and has dedicated his life to academic achievement, from obtaining a Bachelor’s degree to a doctorate.
“I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Management from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), followed by a Master’s in Occupational Safety and Health from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), and then a Doctorate in Business Administration from a private college.
“After completing my higher education, I wanted to apply my knowledge at the foundational level and support my daughter through her own academic journey.
“SPM seemed like a tough syllabus, so I wanted to challenge myself — and despite my age, I believe that if there is a will, everything becomes possible,” he said.
Baskaran also wanted to improve on his previous SPM result from 1984, where he only achieved a Grade Two.
“There were many challenges when my older two children were taking their SPM, but now that only my youngest is left, I saw this as a perfect opportunity to support her.
“We studied and revised together, watching YouTube videos for answering techniques. When my daughter didn’t understand something, I’d help her — and when I struggled, she helped me. If we were both stuck, she would ask her teacher for help.
“That’s how we learned together. As a father, it was such a meaningful experience to share love and support for each other through the pursuit of knowledge,” he said.
The duo sat for the exam at Bukit Mertajam High School.
Baskaran said he hopes the educational path he’s encouraged his daughter to pursue will lead to a brighter future.
“I place great importance on education and have always motivated my children to work hard for their future. If I can do it, they certainly can too — and I hope this journey becomes an inspiration to today’s youth,” he added.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
