BY: Michelle Liew
Malaysia is once again under the spotlight for its impressive academic achievements.
Just recently, it was reported that two of our fellow Malaysian students were accepted into Harvard College. This time, a Malaysian student has received the “Top in the World” award for the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) examinations in Chemistry.
The recipient, Cheryl Chow Su Wei, 17, is a student at Beaconhouse Sri Inai International School. She received the highest standard marks for Chemistry.
The achievement has also drawn praised from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, who congratulated Chow and expressed his happiness and pride over her accomplishment.
It was reported that he said the outstanding achievement ensured Malaysia made international headlines. He then expressed his hope that her achievement inspires others, especially the youth, to work hard and achievement success in their fields.
Chow was ecstatic with her achievement.
“I am ecstatic to receive this prestigious global recognition. To know that I’ve been named the best in Chemistry in the whole world, it is something I have never dreamt of,” she was quoted by The Star.
“This past year has been extremely difficult with the Covid-19 pandemic and learning from home.
“So, I’m even more proud of my accomplishment. Of course, none of this could have been possible without the help of my parents, teachers and peers who motivated and encouraged me to never give up and always try my best,” she said.
Chow competed against almost 1 million students globally for the prestigious award from the Cambridge Assessment International Education during the recent Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards.
She did not stop there, she also won the overall top participant at the prestigious Mangahigh East Asia Maths Ninja Challenge 2019, in which she beat 14,240 students from Japan, China, Korea and Singapore and other countries across East Asia.
She also won gold medal in the national level Kangaroo Math Competition and was a top achiever in the 2019 The University of St Andrews Maths Competition.
Furthermore, Chow earned the gold award in the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition in 2019 and 2020.
Congratulations Cheryl!
