MELAKA: Semakin terpencil duduknya di ceruk desa, semakin bererti tugasnya kepada negara which means “the more isolated he sits in a rural nook, the more important his duty to the country” is the last two lines of the poem Guru Oh Guru penned by National Laureate Datuk Usman in 1979.
The poem tells about teachers and the knowledge imparted to their pupils – which may be the push factor behind the “birth” of a king, a prime minister or even the president of a country.
It is about the sacrifices of teachers, whether in a modern fancy school in the city or in an old school building in Hulu Terengganu, which clearly had an impact on our nation-building since Malaysia obtained independence from the colonialists in 1957.
Leaving private sector to become teacher
Khairul Nizam Aseh, for one, has been willing to leave his career in the aquaculture network of a private company to pursue a post-graduate teaching diploma and become a teacher in his hometown in an Orang Asli settlement in Maran, Pahang.
The Orang Asli man from the Jakun tribe in Kampung Gedung Siam, Paya Bungor, went viral a few years ago after persuading his student to sit for the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) examination.
“I vividly remember that it was already 7 am on the examination day and we (teachers) were waiting for our students at the gate, but the student in particular was nowhere to be seen. So I, together with another teacher, decided to go to her house.
“When we were there, we found out that she didn’t want to go to school because her uniform is wet and she has no other pairs to wear…but after being persuaded, she eventually agreed to go,” said the 39-year-old teacher.
Khairul Nizam was met at the presentation ceremony of McDonald’s Inspirational Teacher’s Award 2023 which was graced by Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek and attended by McDonald’s Malaysia Managing Director and Local Operation Partner Datuk Azmir Jaafar at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC) in Ayer Keroh here yesterday.
25 teachers receive award
At the event, 25 teachers out of the 16,000 nominees, received the award from Fadhlina.
They were Akil Husaini Abdul Manan from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Gunung Rapat, Alizarinah Ali (SMK Taman Indah, Tampin), Anne Margaret Kho (SK Belipat, Lawas), Arif Hadri Japri (SK Pandan Indah), Atila Khazali (SMK Wangsa Maju Seksyen 2), Azmi Zainuddin (SM Sains Miri), Faisal Salim (SK Abi, Perlis), Hasmol Watan Shamsol Bahrin (SMK Telok Mas, Melaka).
Herdawati Selamat (SMK Telok Panglima Garang), Kamilah Baserah (SMK Siong, Kedah), Khairul Nizam Aseh (SK Paya Bungor), Liew Yuen Vun (SMK Muhibbah, Sandakan), Marsila Ahmad (SMK Klebang Besar, Melaka), Mohd Akmal Halimin Mohamed (SK Sungai Pinang), Mohd Rizal Abdul Rahim (SK Tan Sri P. Ramlee, Pulau Pinang), Mohd Syahrizan Ibrahim (SMK Tengku Mahmud), Muhammad Irfan Haqimi Othman (SK Parit Kasan).
Nur Anisah Majit (SK Pekan Satu, Labuan), G. Puveneswari (SJK Tamil Ladang, Yong Peng), Rosmina Yaacob (SMK Rantau Panjang, Pasir Mas), Sahiful Putra Zakaria (SK Sultan Alam Shah, Putrajaya), Silan anak Nyupeng (SK St. Theresa, Kampung Stenggang, Bau), Tuan Saripah Nor RihaTuan Jaafar (SMK Shah Alam) and M.G. Vikneswaran (Sekolah Menengah Jenis (SMJ) Cina Chan Wa).
Each recipient of the award received cash of RM5,000, a trophy and a certificate, and for the first time ever, McDonald’s Malaysia also gives RM5,000 to the respective schools of the recipients for the purpose of upgrading their teachers’ rooms.
Meanwhile, Azmir said McDonald’s Malaysia came forward for the seventh consecutive year in acknowledging the roles of teachers in the country through the McDonald’s Inspirational Teacher’s Award 2023 by appreciating extraordinary teachers who display an extraordinary commitment to improving academic excellence, character and development of their students.
He said the roles of today’s teachers are not limited to teaching in the classroom, but also spending their time and money to ensure that their students attend school and continue to pursue education to the highest level possible to become successful persons.
“Recipients of the McDonald’s Inspirational Teacher’s Award are nominated by their students or by members of the public who feel that the teachers had gone beyond their duties in helping their students.
“We’ve heard a lot of stories about teachers spending their time after school hours to hold free extra classes, giving free food, spending their own money for the children to go to school and making numerous efforts to help their students to succeed.
“So many of the students were inspired by their teachers and this made them good and successful persons,” he said.
Apart from the award, he said McDonald’s Malaysia will also fete teachers at all its 340 restaurants through May in conjunction with the Teachers’ Day celebration.
Meanwhile, Fadhlina also expressed her gratitude to McDonald’s Malaysia for the company’s efforts to celebrate teachers in this country in appreciating their services in educating the young generation.
“So on May 16, let’s celebrate and honour our teachers and I hope this cooperation will continue from time to time. Thank you McDonald’s Malaysia for always supporting our teachers,” she said. – BERNAMA
