HAVING grown up in an urban environment in Ipoh, orang asli Noor Azamira Long of the Semai tribe always sees herself as being luckier than most of her peers.
Not only did she attend boarding school SM Sains Sultan Mohamad Jiwa, Kelantan, for her secondary education, she also had a chance to pursue a degree in the German language at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).
“I didn’t have to go to school on foot or by boat. I am quite lucky (compared to the rest of my peers) that I have opportunities to receive quality education,” said Noor Azamira who has been working as a counsellor at DAAD, or Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (German Academic Exchange Service).
With that in mind, Noor Azamira is determined to convey the importance of education to her community
“Only with a good education and skills can we get out of poverty.
“Our attitude must change, and we must embrace knowledge as well as technology for the better,” she said.
Noor Azamira was among the 614 graduates who received their scrolls on the first day of UPM’s 34th convocation. Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah was the guest-of-honour.
When asked why she wanted to learn German, Noor Azamira, 27, said, “German is a technology language that is highly useful”.
“It is not a difficult language for me to learn. When I was a beginner, I noticed that there are a lot of similarities between the German language and my mother tongue,” said Noor Azamira, who also speaks Cantonese.
RTM newscaster and host Jessica Ong Hai Liaw, 36, was spotted at the convocation. She graduated with a PhD in Bahasa Melayu.
Dr Ong said Bahasa Melayu was her favourite language.
“There’s something about the language that makes it so beautiful and special. I have a lot of Malay friends too,” said Dr Ong, who is also a teacher at a government school in Petaling Jaya.
Beaming with joy was another graduate Teng Wern Jyet, 22, who received the Chancellor Gold Medalist Award.
“This award has given me the confidence to carry out my plans to pursue a masters degree and, hopefully, a doctorate degree as well,” he said.
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