Mowing lawns, sleeping at highway rest areas to earn a PhD

Alías Abd Rarii

QR Code Link :
Type :	Newspaper Clipping
Main Author :	Alías Abd Rarii
Title :	Mowing lawns, sleeping at highway rest areas to earn a PhD

Place of Production :	Pekan
Faculty :	New Straits Times
Year of Publication :	December 8, 2025
HTTP Link :	Click to view web link
JPG Related Image :	Click to view Image file

Full Text :

BATU PAHAT: "Taking a break does not mean giving up. Keep moving forward, even if slowly," said Dr Nurul Zakiah Zamri Tan, 42, who overcame numerous challenges before earning her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Engineering Technology at the 25th Convocation of Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) yesterday. Nurul Zakiah had to be apart from her six children and even slept in her car at rest and service (R&R) stops to save on travel costs from her home to the Pagoh campus. "My children were cared for by my mother-in-law, and I prepared frozen meals for them," she said according to Berita Harian. "In addition, I took on lawn-mowing jobs, including on plots almost two hectares in size, while also working part-time cleaning homestays and doing graphic design to support myself." "I am not ashamed to do such work because my goal was to earn an income to continue my studies," she added. Nurul Zakiah said that when she resumed her studies in 2019, she faced multiple pressures—financial, emotional, and the responsibility of raising six children without a helper. Meanwhile, Abdullah Abduraman, 26, recipient of the Royal Education Award (Pingat Jaya Cemerlang), never imagined he would stand on the UTHM convocation stage receiving the medal. A graduate of the Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Abdullah said he had previously achieved 1A in the Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) examinations. "The hardships I faced did not stop me; I never saw my achievement as the end, but rather as a beginning," he said. "I continued my studies at Politeknik Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin in electronic engineering and eventually graduated, receiving both the award and recognition as a Director's Award recipient," he added. Abdullah acknowledged that his journey was not easy, with financial constraints at times almost derailing his hopes of pursuing higher education. "I come from a low-income family. I had to save bit by bit to continue my studies, but perseverance paid off," he said.

This material may be protected under Copyright Act which governs the making of photocopies or reproductions of copyrighted materials.
You may use the digitized material for private study, scholarship, or research.

Back to previous page