Ukm's Permata@pintar Negara Centre Has Enrolled 1,586 Gifted Students Since 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, April 6 (Bernama) -- A total of 1,586 students have attended the PERMATA@Pintar Negara Centre (PPPN) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), which includes 1,061 alumni who have successfully completed their studies since its establishment in 2011 until last year.

UKM PPPN deputy director Mohd Hakimie Zainal Abidin noted that 70 percent of them were students from B40 and M40 families.

PPPN UKM, known as PERMATA@Pintar College, is the pioneering special programme in Malaysia catering to gifted students with exceptional natural intellectual capabilities, that is also tasked with identifying such students nationwide, offering them opportunities to nurture and enhance their potential and talents.

Mohd Hakimie said the centre assists from the early screening stage by identifying genius students in collaboration with the Department of Education in every state, subsequently extending its reach to schools nationwide.

"This assistance also encompasses coordinating the administration of tests at schools and facilitating scholarships through entities such as BUDI Permodalan Nasional Berhad, Yayasan Johawaki, Yayasan Sabah, Yayasan Pahang, Yayasan Sarawak, as well as Federal Small Scholarships and Special Pupil Allowance from the Ministry of Education," he informed Bernama during a recent visit to the centre.

He said that the centre is currently awaiting the admission of autistic genius students to UKM for Bachelor's Degree programmes in addition to providing high-quality educational opportunities to gifted children from the B40 and M40 groups, aiming to transform their futures.

"They have the opportunity to conduct research with renowned professors at the university, while enhancing their confidence in presenting their findings at the university level," he said.

Aligned with the progression of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Mohd Hakimie highlighted that the centre collaborates with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation to cultivate proficient and talented youths in the areas of artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, Internet of Things (IoT), and data science.

Moreover, PPPN UKM offers Advanced Placement courses covering various subjects including biology, physics, chemistry, and statistics, as well as additional subjects like AI and technopreneurship.

"One of the primary objectives of PERMATA@Pintar is to mitigate the brain drain of highly skilled individuals leaving the country. It's evident that these talented individuals are consistently sought after by other nations.

"PERMATA@Pintar aims to ensure that these bright individuals continue their studies in our country, providing them with opportunities to pursue their interests, aspirations, and contribute to the nation's development, while also bringing Nobel Prize-winning successes to our nation," he said.

Meanwhile, Nur Aliah Atikah Tumiran, 18, who recently completed her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, shared that throughout her five years at the centre, the emphasis was on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). 

"At 16, I studied AP Statistics, and from there, I discovered my interest in the subject," she said, adding that she has received an offer to pursue a four-year Bachelor of Arts and Commerce degree at the University of Otago, New Zealand, in July.

Nur Aliah, whose father is a carpenter, offered encouragement to her peers, advising them not to fear exploring new opportunities and to continuously work towards transforming both their own and their family's future.

-- BERNAMA