Budu Power

Terengganu has done it again! For nine consecutive years, the state has achieved the highest percentage of straight As in the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) examination in the country.

The State Education Department reported that of the 24,156 candidates who sat for this exam (it used to be called Pepereksaan Darjah Enam during my time), 3,664 scored five As.

This is equivalent to 15.3 per cent of those who sat for it and an almost one per cent jump over last year's 14.4 per cent. What is even more heartening to note is that rural schools were doing much better than urban schools.

My heart swelled with pride upon learning this, not so much because I am Terengganu born-and-bred, but because it shows how much Terengganu, once considered the most backward state in the country (in infrastructure and everything else), has advanced in the realm of education for the young.

It wasn't long ago that Terengganu was Malaysia's own "Hickville", the ultimate boondocks of the ulus. This is not counting charming Kelantan of course, because Kelantan is never ever ulu, just not cut from the same kain semutar, that's all.

Coming from an ulu primary school myself during those long-ago days of the '60s, I can identify with kids like 5A-achiever Mohd Fadli Amin Khairuddin from Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Ladang Gajah Mati, 50 kilometres from the nearest town of Dungun.

Now, that distance to the interior from quiet Dungun would definitely place the school in the middle of nowhere, as with two other schools in a 50-km radius to it, SRK Pasir Raja and SRK Terus.

These are all schools with less than 100 pupils but blessed with dedicated teachers who, according to Fadli in a press interview, kept an eagle eye on their academic performance from the very beginning. It is such teachers who make a difference in the lives of these kampung kids.

Today Terengganu is blessed with natural riches, a stable (if squabble-prone) state government (please stop all the bickerings and back-biting and get on with nation-building!) and a populace that no longer considers becoming fishermen is about the only lot for Terengganu men.

They still look seaward today, but only to fish for black gold and not the aquatic specie they were used to. Terengganu is a blessed land indeed ... and I'm feeling extra patriotic lately; must be all those kropok lekor that 'The Malay Mail' reporter Gabey Oh brought back from Kuala Terengganu last week ...

PS: Lest I'm misunderstood, let it be reminded that it's not the string of As I am rejoicing about; it's the fact that the kids of my beloved Terengganu are showing their mettle in a most positive way, by coming out tops and staying there continuously for almost a decade... syabas!