A Malaysian student’s joy after receiving an excellence award for her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) results quickly turned into disappointment after she was pressured to use part of her prize money to host a family celebration.
According to mStar, the girl said she had received RM1,500 during an award ceremony held at her school in recognition of her strong academic and co-curricular performance.
While she initially felt proud and grateful for the achievement, the situation took a turn when her relatives expressed their desire to celebrate her success.
Celebration for using her money
According to her, her mother’s siblings insisted on organising a “makan-makan” gathering under the pretext of celebrating her accomplishment.
However, the cost of the event had to be borne by her immediate family, leading her mother to ask her to spend RM500 from the prize money she had just received.
The student admitted she felt reluctant and unhappy about the arrangement, saying she had hoped to use the money for herself instead.
She revealed that she had not received any other gifts despite her results, and had planned to use the RM1,500 to buy a laptop for her future university studies.
I’m not sincere about it. I wanted to use the money for something else and reward myself,” she wrote, expressing her frustration over the situation.
Netizens’ reaction
Her post has since drawn widespread attention online, with many netizens sympathising with her and criticising the relatives’ actions.
Several pointed out that the prize money rightfully belonged to the student and should not have been used without her consent, especially when it could support her education moving forward.
Others also advised her to prioritise her own needs, warning that she might regret not using the money for something meaningful like a laptop, which would be essential for her studies..
