One Malaysian student didn’t just receive flying colours in her SPM results — she also walked away with RM700 in cash, thanks to a sweet deal made with her mum.
Nur Maryam Baidurrie Nordin, a student from SMK Taman Mount Austin, Johor Bahru, couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw her results.
She had scored 7As and a B+, and was both thrilled and thankful — not just for the achievement, but also for the meaningful reward that came with it.
During the SPM trial, I got 6As and 2Bs. At that time, my mum gave me RM50 for each A. Then she promised RM100 per A for the actual exam to motivate me,” she shared.
According to Mstar, she had originally aimed for a perfect 8As, and although she fell just short, she remains hopeful — revealing that she plans to apply for a recheck, just in case the B+ turns into an A.
Adapting to a new language stream
Maryam’s SPM journey wasn’t all smooth sailing. When she entered Form Four, she had to transfer from an English-medium school to a Malay-medium one — a shift that proved to be quite a challenge.
Of course, the teaching methods were different, and I struggled to adapt at first,” she explained.
To overcome the hurdle, she took the initiative to attend tuition classes and frequently referred to a bilingual dictionary to strengthen her Bahasa Malaysia skills.
“At the end of the day, it’s about putting in the hard work and not giving up easily. Alhamdulillah, all the effort paid off — I even cried tears of joy,” she said.
Looking ahead, Maryam plans to pursue a degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) and hopes to become a lecturer one day.
She credits her parents as her biggest source of motivation, especially knowing how much they’ve sacrificed for her future.
“My parents are incredibly supportive of my dream. They’ve worked so hard to ensure I get a good education and a better life,” she said, adding that being their only child has pushed her even more to succeed.
Maryam also had a few words for others:
To those who didn’t get the results they hoped for, don’t be discouraged. SPM is only the beginning. Keep striving to achieve your dreams and make your parents and teachers proud.”
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