Education

Star Education Fair
Sunday March 14, 2010
From rempit to graduate
By RICHARD LIM


educate@thestar.com.my

ALTHOUGH it may be hard to imagine it now, Hairul Azwan Zakaria, 21, was on course for a painful lesson in life.

The fact that he was involved in 13 traffic accidents – often self-induced – doesn’t quite capture the full effect.

An outgoing person thanks to a childhood which saw him working on Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) fields since he was seven, Hairul Azwan developed an interest in motorsports and began repairing motorcycles in Form Three.

However, his passion for the fast lane was not confined to the workshop and he joined the ranks of mat rempit, hanging out with his fellow riders, entering races and attempting death - and logic defying - stunts.
Proud moment: A tearful Hairul Azwan receiving his diploma and special award from Tan Sri Lim Kok Wing during the convocation ceremony.

Throw in countless acts of skipping classes, vicious arguments with his parents, as well as many hard falls, and you have the script of a disaster movie.

“I even stole petrol,” he admitted.

“I was so desperate that I would do anything to take my motorbike for a spin.

“I can’t really explain why I did all that, but riding my bike released me from my worries.”

To top it off, his lackadaisical attitude to formal education continued when he turned down an opportunity to further his studies at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology under Felda’s Generasi Baru programme.

“The door was open for me but I wilfully let it go,” he said.

“Teachers rarely gave me attention in primary and secondary school and I could not be bothered to study.”

However, everything changed when he saw his mother cutting grass one day.

“My parents are school gardeners and although I knew that their salary wasn’t great, I never realised how much they suffered to raise us,” said Hairul Azwan, the youngest of four siblings, as he held back tears.

“My attitude towards education changed and I saw it as a pathway to help myself and my family.”

With newfound resolve, Hairul decided to join the second intake of the Generasi Baru programme in 2006.

After much adaptation and hard work, his efforts paid off when he obtained a freshly minted diploma in Broadcasting in the third Generasi Baru convocation last Sunday.

He even received an award for his perseverance – the President’s Award for Determination and Tenacity.

“Graduating from Limkokwing is special to me but the most memorable moment was seeing how my mother cried when I decided to join the second intake of the programme,” he added.

“She was overjoyed that I was willing to give education another shot, and I know she’s very happy for me today.”

Hairul Azwan was one of the programme’s 358 students to graduate last Sunday.

Launched in 2005 by then Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak, the programme is designed to provide the next generation of Felda settlers with tertiary education at Limkokwing.

At the convocation ceremony, students received their diplomas in various disciplines such as animation, broadcasting, digital photography, interior design, fashion design, graphic design, advertising, information technology, business management and tourism management.