Kota bharu: The dream of a high-achieving Orang Asli student from the Temiar tribe to become a teacher is now a step closer to reality, as 18-year-old Nur Syafienaz Nazri has enrolled at the Kota Bharu Campus of the Institute of Teacher Education (IPG).

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the student, from Kampung Lambok, Kuala Betis in Gua Musang, expressed her commitment to using this opportunity to demonstrate to the next generation that education can be a transformative force for her family’s future. Nur Syafienaz shared her lifelong aspiration to become a teacher, with a particular interest in English, a language not widely mastered in her village.

Nur Syafienaz achieved 8As in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) last year and did not hesitate to apply to IPG, where her application was accepted. She credits her success in mastering English to her dedication and the resources available on social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube, as well as the continuous support from her school teachers.

Now enrolled in the Bachelor of Teaching (Hons) Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) for Primary Education at IPG, Nur Syafienaz hopes to inspire other Orang Asli children to pursue educational excellence and to embrace learning and change. She was accompanied by her mother, Siti Norsyakila Kamarzaman, who expressed her hopes for her daughter’s adaptation and success in her new academic environment.

Dr. Narita Mohd Noor, the director of IPG Kota Bharu Campus, noted that Nur Syafienaz is the first Orang Asli student to be offered a place in the Bachelor of Teaching program at the campus. She praised this significant achievement, highlighting the challenges in mastering English and the typical preference for fields like Bahasa Melayu among students pursuing higher education. The campus welcomed 529 new students this year, a notable increase from the previous year’s enrollment.