USM graduate who lost father on final exam day named Chancellor's gold medal recipient

GEORGE TOWN, May 20 (Bernama) -- Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) graduate Na Yong Sik, who overcame a personal loss, will be the recipient of the Chancellor's gold medal at the university's 59th convocation starting tomorrow.

Yong Sik's father, Na Chung Sheng, 49, died on the last day of his son's examinations. Even though, Yong Sik was dealing with the grief, he stayed focused and decided to sit for his Advanced Process Safety paper online on July 21 last year as he knew his father would have wanted him to do so.

"I was informed by my brother that our father had died due to COVID-19 on July 21 (last year) at 5 am. My only thought then was to make preparations to drive back home to Klang to be with my family.

"Upon reaching home, I decided to sit for my final paper on the same day as my father always wanted his children to be successful," he said when met by reporters at a press conference today in conjunction with the 59th USM Convocation ceremony here.

Also present at the press conference were USM vice chancellor Datuk Dr Faisal Rafiq Mahamd Adikan and the recipient of the Royal Education Award by the Council of Rulers of Malaysia for the best student in the Bumiputera category, Syazwan Izman Shairunizam.

Yong Sik, who is a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering graduate, said he managed to get an A in the Advanced Process Safety paper despite sitting for the examination just after receiving the saddest news of his life.

Yong Sik, who is now working as an engineer in an international company in Singapore, said his father would have been proud of his achievement because both his late father and mother, Tan Lih Cin,48, have always motivated him to achieve success.

Meanwhile, for another graduate, Syazwan Izman, 24, who works as an engineer in a factory in Penang said he was not stressed throughout his studies as he found an outlet through in association activities at USM.

Meanwhile, Faisal Rafiq said the convocation ceremony would be from tomorrow until May 31, involving 11 sessions at Dewan Tuanku Syed Putra (DTSP), USM here.

"A total of 6,706 graduates will receive their respective degrees including honorary degrees (two), Professor Emeritus (five), PhD and Master's degrees (2,231), Bachelor's degrees (4,475) and Diploma in Nursing (50)," he added.

-- BERNAMA