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Fardi looking all smart in his graduation gown in this photo, taken after a graduation ceremony for Form 5 students of SMK Long Bedian last year.

WHEN Fardi Daud received his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination result’s slip on April 24 this year, he did not cry, but behind his quiet smile, there was a story only a few could imagine.

Until barely a year ago, the Penan boy had not set foot in a classroom for nearly nine years.

He had only completed Primary 1 and a part of Primary 2 at SK Long Bedian in Baram, before he stopped attending school altogether.

“I didn’t want to go to school.

“I was very young, naive, and naughty at the time, and I couldn’t stay apart from my family for too long.

“The homesickness was unbearable, especially when you’re so young,” he told thesundaypost in an interview in Miri recently.

Fardi was born and raised in Long Sayan, a remote Penan village about a six-hour drive from Miri.

His mother passed away when he was very young, before he even started school.

His father took over the role of both caregiver and breadwinner.

Fardi said his father, who never attended school, was a farmer.

“Occasionally, he would take on odd jobs to put food on the table.”

Long Sayan is one of many Penan villages and settlements under the Telang Usan state constituency, where the present assemblyman is Dato Dennis Ngau.

In many of these Penan settlements, there are no primary and secondary schools; hence, the Penan children must leave their families behind to attend boarding schools in other villages.

In Fardi’s case, this meant going to SK Long Bedian, the school nearest to his village – about an-hour-and-half journey on board a four-wheel-drive vehicle (4WD), barring unforeseen circumstances on the road.

“As the school is located quite far from our village, and because we had to stay in the hostel, it was unbearable, especially for many young Penan children like me.

“My first year in Primary 1 felt like it lasted forever. I still remember countless nights of crying myself to sleep because I missed home so much.

“I even thought of running away at night when everyone was asleep.

“When I got to Primary 2, the homesickness became too much for me to bear.

“So, I decided to stop attending school, which was why I never completed Primary 2 at SK Long Bedian.”

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Dennis and Fardi seen during a recent meet-up to talk about the Penan youth’s future plans.

While his peers moved up the education ladder, Fardi spent his days roaming the village, playing with other children, some who were much older than him who also did not attend school.

Later, he began helping his uncle and aunt at the farm, while his father left the village to look for better opportunities in town.

“I was basically trying to do whatever jobs that I could find in the village.

“This way, I could contribute to putting food on the table – I have a younger sister who also did not attend school,” he said.

Then, at age 16, everything changed. Fardi’s father gifted him a mobile phone – a modest, second-hand device with limited data.

To the boy, though, it was enough.

“That’s how I found YouTube,” he smiled.

“I started watching many videos and documentaries on YouTube, from children’s songs to Malay dramas and movies.

“I also watched online classes on how to read and write.

“From there, I taught myself to read, bit by bit,” he said.

It was through a glowing screen, not a blackboard or whiteboard, that Fardi first recognised letters and numbers.

At the time, he said learning Bahasa Melayu (BM) was still a challenge, but he persevered.

English was even harder, but he pushed it through.

For the first time, he understood what it meant to learn, and he wanted more.

Encouraged by his older brother, now studying to become a teacher at Teachers Education Institute (IPG) Batu Lintang Campus in Kuching, and also by his aunt, Fardi decided to go back to school.

“I couldn’t believe it myself when I decided to go back, after missing four years of primary school and never having stepped into secondary school.

“Some called me crazy, since the last time I was in school, I was in the middle of Primary 2, and I still hadn’t mastered reading and numbers.”

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Behind his smile, Fardi has a story that only a few can ever imagine.

Fardi said he was excited to return, but was also nervous and shy about what his classmates and teachers might think.

“Despite those thoughts, I went to SMK Long Bedian in May last year to register.

“I didn’t know how it worked, but thankfully, the school accepted my application,” he said.

When he showed up to register for Form 5, some teachers hesitated.

“I understood their doubts, but I was determined to give it a go,” he said, adding that the school ran extra classes for Form 5 students.

He said sometimes he would oversleep in the afternoon and miss the extra lessons, but he tried to make up for them as much and as often as he could.

And one day, a teacher said something that stuck with him since.

“She said: ‘You must do your best, even if you feel like you’re far behind.

“There are others like you who have made it’.

“That gave me the strength to keep going.”

Last December, Fardi, along with 42 other students of SMK Long Bedian, sat for the SPM examinations.

‘From illiteracy, to getting SPM cert’

When the SPM results were released on April 24 this year, Fardi did not score any A in the eight subjects that he had taken.

Still, not getting the A grading did not diminish the significance of the moment.

For the Penan youth, what mattered most was that he had met the requirements to receive his SPM certificate.

To be eligible for this general school education certificate, a student must pass at least one of the core subjects, either BM or History, and Fardi had done just that.

“I was just so grateful,” he said, visibly emotional.

“To think that a year ago, I couldn’t even read properly, and now I’ve passed a core subject and qualified for the certificate. That alone felt like a huge achievement.”

Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Sarawak Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn, in announcing the SPM 2024 results last month in Kuching, revealed that SMK Long Bedian was among 28 schools that achieved a 100 percent eligibility rate for the SPM certificate.

This marked a notable improvement from the 19 schools that achieved the same in 2023.

Making it even more meaningful for SMK Long Bedian was Year 2024 marked the rural secondary school’s first batch of Form 5 students sitting for the SPM examinations.

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Fardi (second right) with his schoolmates in this photo, taken during the SPM examinations last year.

In his remarks, Dennis attributed this success partly to financial support from the Sarawak government.

According to him, Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg had approved an allocation of RM100,000 specifically for SMK Long Bedian’s SPM candidates.

“The funds were channelled to the school, enabling teachers to conduct various programmes, including intensive extra classes, to help students prepare for the exams,” said the assemblyman, adding that the principal had told him that the funds were utilised for meaningful activities, including motivational talks for the students.

Dennis said that the allocation signified the Sarawak government’s commitment to ensuring equal access to education, particularly for the children living across the state’s rural and remote areas.

According to him, Premier Abang Johari is affectionately known as ‘Menteri Penan’ (Minister for the Penans) among the community in Baram, in recognition for his long-standing efforts in supporting their development, especially those related to education.

“The Premier travelled to Long Jekitan in Ulu Baram about 35 years ago and opened a school for the Penan children there.

“That alone shows how much he truly cares about the education and future of the Penan community,” said Dennis, adding that today, there are more than 230 Penan graduates working in both the government and private sectors.

He said that even though some might think this number was relatively small compared to those of other communities, for him and the Penan community, this signified an excellent achievement.

“The state government continues to show its support for the Penan community by partnering with Petronas in setting up kindergartens in five Penan settlements in the Telang Usan constituency.

“The kindergartens in Long Leng, Long Kerangan, Ba Selulong, Long Jenalong, and Long Kawa began construction in 2016, and the works reached completion in 2020, involving a total cost of RM2.75 million.”

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Abang Johari (fourth left) performing the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of the first kindergarten at Long Leng in Baram, in this photo taken in 2023.

Still, Dennis acknowledged that despite all these efforts, not all Penan children managed to stay in school.

The dropout rates, especially in his constituency, remained a grave concern.

“This is shaped by complex cultural and logistical factors.

“One of the main reasons Penan children are reluctant to attend school is rooted in their culture and way of life.

“Many Penan families are hesitant to send their children to boarding schools, which are often the only option when the schools are really far from their villages.

“The emotional toll of separation is particularly high among the younger children.

“Fardi himself had to leave his family when he was just seven years old to go to school,” Dennis pointed out, also stressing that for the Penans, sending a child away for schooling was never a simple decision.

Addressing this challenge, he argued, would require more than just policy solutions.

“It requires empathy and a real understanding of the Penan way of life. We need to raise awareness and nurture a culture of education within their settlements.”

One of the more practical solutions, suggested the assemblyman, would be to build more primary schools within these Penan villages.

“If the schools were nearby, I believe that more parents would be encouraged to send their children there.”

It is stated that at present, there are only three primary schools in the Telang Usan constituency with almost full Penan enrolment: SK Long Kevok, SK Pelutan, and SK Long Luteng.

Meanwhile, the three secondary schools serving the wider area are SMK Long Lama, SMK Long San, and SMK Long Bedian.

Dennis also proposed that boarding schools with Penan students, particularly those in the early primary levels, would allow the parents to stay with their children once every fortnight.

“This will help the younger children, especially those in Primary 1 and 2, to better adapt to the transition. It’s a small gesture that could make a big difference in helping the children remain in school.”

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Photo shows a younger Fardi, back when he stopped attending primary school.

On Fardi’s SPM achievement, Dennis described him as ‘a remarkable young man’.

“Although he didn’t obtain any As, passing several subjects, especially one of the core papers, is mind-blowing.

“Getting to know his story where any formal schooling that he received (before Form 5) was in Primary 1 and part of Primary 2, and the fact that no one taught him how to read or do Mathematics, and yet, he sat for the SPM exams – that in itself is a great achievement.”

Dennis encouraged Fardi to pursue further education in any area that caught his interest.

“There are many fields you can explore.

“If you’re not keen on university, you can take up technical training. With the right skills, you can earn a good living,” advised the assemblyman.

Dennis also expressed hope that more funds would be allocated to help the rural schools, which often faced limitations in providing educational programmes to the children.

“After news spread about the Premier’s grant to SMK Long Bedian, other schools had reached out to ask whether they, too, could apply for similar support, especially for students preparing for SPM this year,” he said, also expressing hope that the state government would respond positively to this.

He said this would ensure that all students, especially those from underprivileged families, could have equal opportunities to succeed in education.

“If they succeed one day, they will undoubtedly give back to the development of this state and nation,” said the assemblyman.

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