A father, who merely wanted to support his 18-year-old daughter in her academic journey, found himself achieving flying colours alongside her for SPM.
58-year-old R. Baskaran, who sat for the national exam Bukit Mertajam High School with his daughter B. Dannya, shared how it all began with the simple gesture, which eventually culminated in both of them acing the exam.
‘I wanted to challenge myself’
Speaking to NST about the extraordinary academic journey he had with his daughter, Baskaran, who works as a medical supervisor at Penang General Hospital (HPP), said education has always been his lifelong passion.
This was evident in the string of degrees he obtained from various universities, such as a Bachelor’s degree in Management from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), a Master’s in Occupational Safety and Health from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), and a Doctorate in Business Administration from a private college.
“After completing my higher education, I wanted to apply my knowledge at the foundational level and support my daughter through her own academic journey.
“SPM seemed like a tough syllabus, so I wanted to challenge myself — and despite my age, I believe that if there is a will, everything becomes possible.
“Furthermore, I also wanted to improve on my previous SPM result from 1984, where I only achieved a Grade Two,” he said.
M’sian father scores straight A’s for SPM along with daughter
With a clear goal in mind, Baskaran spent countless hours studying with his daughter during their preparation for SPM.
We studied and revised together, watching YouTube videos for answering techniques. When my daughter didn’t understand something, I’d help her — and when I struggled, she helped me. If we were both stuck, she would ask her teacher for help.
“That’s how we learned together. As a father, it was such a meaningful experience to share love and support for each other through the pursuit of knowledge,” he explained.
The duo’s efforts eventually paid off in the form of Baskaran scoring 7As, while his daughter scored 11As.
Baskaran said he hopes his story will inspire more youths to never give up on pursuing their academic dreams.
“I place great importance on education and have always motivated my children to work hard for their future. If I can do it, they certainly can too — and I hope this journey becomes an inspiration to today’s youth.”
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