Never Too Old to Learn, 65-Year-Old Man Sits For His SPM For The First Time

By Ammar Haziq  •  23 Feb 2021 in News

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They say the pursuit of knowledge has no end, which is true for senior citizen Salman Ahmad, who despite being 65-years-old, was still determined to sit for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination for the first time.

He is among 645 private candidates out of a total of 16,554 SPM candidates in Negeri Sembilan, who began the examination today.

Salman, who is also the former deputy director of Tourism Malaysia who retired in 2012, said he made the decision to prove to society, especially the youth, that age is no barrier for anyone seeking knowledge and success.

“I first took the Malaysia Certificate of Education (MCE) examination in 1973, all the subjects were in English, then I continued my studies at the Institut Teknologi Mara in the field of Public Administration. So now, I want to take up the challenge of sitting for the SPM as well.

“I also want to set an example and be a motivation to my grandchildren. Age is no barrier to learning, the pursuit of knowledge is a lifelong process,” he told reporters after sitting for the English Paper 1 at SMK King George V here today.

He said he wanted to take the public examination last year, but he had to postpone it following the Covid-19 outbreak.

The Negeri Sembilan native said he has prepared for the examination by getting revision books since last year, and taking online classes. His younger brother, who was a teacher, also guided him.

“My family gave me a lot of support and encouragement. I am not shy, I am not surprised by what people say. As the saying goes – you’re never too old to learn, there is no end to it – from the cradle to the grave,” he said.

Salman, who is a father of two, said besides taking Bahasa Malaysia, he also took two other subjects which were English and History. He intends to take other subjects next year if he gets flying colours for SPM 2020.