Miss-Delectable
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http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/learning/story/0,4136,108834,00.html
SCHOLARSHIP winner Muhammad Sahfahri Supar can hear, but he grew up in a silent world.
Both of Mr Sahfahri's parents are hearing-impaired and do not know sign language.
His father, Mr Supar Ponimen, 53, is an electrical technician and his mother, Madam Tuminah Dawood, 56, is a part-time cleaner.
He has a younger sister, Ms Safarinah, 18, a sales assistant.
'My parents were born deaf, and we communicate mostly through hand gestures. My mum can also lip-read,' he said.
Their love for him is so strong that it drove him to succeed on their behalf.
CAPITALAND AWARD
Mr Sahfahri, 20, not only became the first Malay president of Temasek Polytechnic's Students' Union (TPSU) last year, he excelled academically too.
He received the CapitaLand Award for All-Round Excellence early this month when he graduated.
It is given to students with exceptional academic results and extensive participation and contribution in co-curricular activities.
Mr Sahfahri scored 11 distinctions and 14 As in microelectronics.
He was also among the top 10 per cent of his cohort at Temasek during his first and second years in 2003 and 2004.
With such good grades, Mr Sahfahri received scholarships from US-based Micron Technology Foundation in 2004 and 2005.
Each scholarship is worth US$1,500 (S$2,400).
They helped lessen his parents' financial burden.
The family's monthly income is about $2,000.
He worked as a waiter in his first year in polytechnic, but later quit as it was tough juggling school with work.
'The scholarship I received at the end of my first year also helped as I didn't have to work part-time anymore,' he said.
He is now working as student development officer in TP.
A former Zhonghua Secondary School student, Mr Sahfahri explained his determination to do well.
'Education is one way for me to provide for my family financially. It is my responsibility to take care of them.'
Mr Sahfahri, who hopes to pursue an engineering degree in the National University of Singapore, added: 'I failed maths and got a lot of Cs in Sec 2. It made me realise that something was amiss.
'That was when I made a promise to provide for my parents when they grow old.'
Besides his duties as president of the students' union, he was also a member of the dragon boat team, training up to 12 hours a week.
In addition, he was honorary secretary of the Atomic Club and sat on the organising committees of various school events.
Ms Pamela Heo, a final-year student who has worked with Mr Sahfahri in TPSU, feels he is an excellent leader.
She said: 'Although he was involved in a lot of activities, he always made the effort to take time off to handle problems that crop up.'
Mr Sahfahri, who lives in a four-room flat in Serangoon, received a weekly allowance of $50 from his parents in his three years at TP, which was 'just enough'.
Speaking through Mr Sahfahri, Madam Tuminah said: 'I'm very happy and proud of him. Especially when the staff told me that he is a very capable student.'
SCHOLARSHIP winner Muhammad Sahfahri Supar can hear, but he grew up in a silent world.
Both of Mr Sahfahri's parents are hearing-impaired and do not know sign language.
His father, Mr Supar Ponimen, 53, is an electrical technician and his mother, Madam Tuminah Dawood, 56, is a part-time cleaner.
He has a younger sister, Ms Safarinah, 18, a sales assistant.
'My parents were born deaf, and we communicate mostly through hand gestures. My mum can also lip-read,' he said.
Their love for him is so strong that it drove him to succeed on their behalf.
CAPITALAND AWARD
Mr Sahfahri, 20, not only became the first Malay president of Temasek Polytechnic's Students' Union (TPSU) last year, he excelled academically too.
He received the CapitaLand Award for All-Round Excellence early this month when he graduated.
It is given to students with exceptional academic results and extensive participation and contribution in co-curricular activities.
Mr Sahfahri scored 11 distinctions and 14 As in microelectronics.
He was also among the top 10 per cent of his cohort at Temasek during his first and second years in 2003 and 2004.
With such good grades, Mr Sahfahri received scholarships from US-based Micron Technology Foundation in 2004 and 2005.
Each scholarship is worth US$1,500 (S$2,400).
They helped lessen his parents' financial burden.
The family's monthly income is about $2,000.
He worked as a waiter in his first year in polytechnic, but later quit as it was tough juggling school with work.
'The scholarship I received at the end of my first year also helped as I didn't have to work part-time anymore,' he said.
He is now working as student development officer in TP.
A former Zhonghua Secondary School student, Mr Sahfahri explained his determination to do well.
'Education is one way for me to provide for my family financially. It is my responsibility to take care of them.'
Mr Sahfahri, who hopes to pursue an engineering degree in the National University of Singapore, added: 'I failed maths and got a lot of Cs in Sec 2. It made me realise that something was amiss.
'That was when I made a promise to provide for my parents when they grow old.'
Besides his duties as president of the students' union, he was also a member of the dragon boat team, training up to 12 hours a week.
In addition, he was honorary secretary of the Atomic Club and sat on the organising committees of various school events.
Ms Pamela Heo, a final-year student who has worked with Mr Sahfahri in TPSU, feels he is an excellent leader.
She said: 'Although he was involved in a lot of activities, he always made the effort to take time off to handle problems that crop up.'
Mr Sahfahri, who lives in a four-room flat in Serangoon, received a weekly allowance of $50 from his parents in his three years at TP, which was 'just enough'.
Speaking through Mr Sahfahri, Madam Tuminah said: 'I'm very happy and proud of him. Especially when the staff told me that he is a very capable student.'