UNITAR Students In Sabah Inspired By Dewan Rakyat Speaker's Journey From Poverty To Leadership

By Syed Iylia Hariz Al-Qadri Syed Izman

KOTA KINABALU,  Nov 21 (Bernama) -- Students at the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UNITAR) Kota Kinabalu Campus are drawing inspiration from the life journey of Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Dr Johari Abdul, who rose from being a son of a rubber tapper to holding one of the highest positions in Malaysia’s parliamentary institution.

Many of them were deeply moved by Johari’s candid account of poverty, perseverance, and the relentless effort he invested in shaping himself into the leader he is today.

They shared this during the “Kupi-Kupi Dulu Bah Kita Sama Speaker” programme here today.

Fakhrusy Syakirin Haron, 21, a UNITAR Bachelor of Education (Malay) student, said Johari’s personal story of joys and hardships had a profound emotional impact on him.

“As a young person, listening to Tan Sri explain his life journey touched me deeply. I felt both sad and inspired by his story.

“How he progressed from an ordinary worker to becoming the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat is truly motivating for us young people,” he told Bernama today.

The programme, organised by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), brought together 40 UNITAR students and was also attended by the Head of the National Information Dissemination Centre (NADI), Dr Mohd Arif Adenan.

Fakhrusy, who also comes from a poor family background, said Johari’s upbringing in a poor family made his story particularly relatable.

“Tan Sri did not come from a wealthy family. From his journey, I can see that he had very high ambitions and always strived to achieve his goals, which has led to his success today,” he said.

Johari, who was accompanied by his wife, Puan Sri Datin Noraini Mohd, spent nearly two hours with the students, sharing his life story, from helping his mother sell kuih in Kedah before school to growing up with a rubber tapper father.

During the programme, Johari recounted the hardships he faced, including key turning points that motivated him to pursue education and excellence.

In his speech, JohariIn his speech, Johari emphasised three key words that formed the foundation of his success - dreams, courage, and knowledge, which he said should serve as guiding principles for young people.

Meanwhile, a UNITAR Basic Arts student, who only wished to be identified as Sandra, 18, said Johari’s achievements proved that a challenging family background is not a barrier to a bright future.

“He managed to rise from zero to the pinnacle of success. Nothing is impossible if we truly put in the effort. He is an excellent role model for us as youth.

“We must work hard for what we want, because without effort, we cannot achieve our goals,” she said. Sandra aspires to further her studies in counselling.

-- BERNAMA