MARA Offers Lifeline To Student Who Almost Turned Down Al-Azhar Medical Place

KOTA BHARU, July 5 (Bernama) -- A student who was on the verge of turning down an offer to study medicine at Al-Azhar University in Egypt due to financial constraints may now be able to pursue his dream after the Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) stepped in to offer assistance.

Former MARA Junior Science College (MRSM) Jeli student Mohamad Solihin Mohd Nasir, 19, had considered rejecting the offer as his family was unable to meet the estimated RM100,000 cost of tuition and living expenses over the five-year programme.

MARA chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the agency would explore the best option to enable Mohamad Solihin to pursue medical studies, either at Al-Azhar University or at Universiti Sains Malaysia Health Campus (USMKK) under MARA sponsorship.

"If he chooses to go to Egypt, MARA will help provide a pathway, including an Arabic language course to meet the entry requirements before he begins his studies.

"The second option is to pursue medical studies at USMKK under MARA sponsorship," he said during a video call with Mohamad Solihin at his home in Kampung Kubang Keranji here today.

Asyraf Wajdi said MARA prioritises high-achieving students from underprivileged backgrounds, particularly those who have lost a parent, to ensure financial hardship does not prevent them from furthering their education.

"We indeed focus on students like Mohamad Solihin. Furthermore, his family background is underprivileged and he is an orphan. It is precisely this group that we prioritise," he said.

Mohamad Solihin, who obtained a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.96 at Kelantan Matriculation College, said he had seriously considered declining the offer he received on June 15 because of his family's financial situation.

His father, Mohd Nasir Abdul Rahman, died of a heart attack in 2014 when he was in Standard One, while his mother, Faridah Mohamad, 60, who suffers from thyroid disease, depends on support from her other children.

"I almost rejected this offer because of financial considerations, even though I have long held the ambition to become a doctor," according to the youngest of five siblings, adding that his aspiration to become a cardiothoracic surgeon was inspired by his father's death from heart disease.

He said teachers at MRSM Jeli had launched a fundraising effort, while applications for assistance had also been submitted to several agencies, including MARA, the Kelantan Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council, Kelantan Islamic Foundation and Kelantan Darulnaim Foundation.

Meanwhile, Faridah said the family could not afford to finance the studies and hoped assistance would enable her son to pursue his ambition.

"I am happy he received the opportunity to study in Egypt, but we truly have no money to send him and can only hope there are parties willing to help as that has been his ambition since childhood," she said.

Mohamad Solihin, who is scheduled to depart for Egypt between Aug 21 and 29 if funding is secured, said he still hoped to pursue his studies at Al-Azhar University, even if he had to complete an Arabic language course first.

Before ending the video call, Asyraf Wajdi advised him to remain steadfast in maintaining his relationship with Allah through tahajjud prayers, al-Ma'thurat dhikr and revising his Quranic memorisation throughout his studies.

Members of the public who wish to contribute towards Mohamad Solihin's studies may do so via his Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd account number 031 2002 7878 649.

-- BERNAMA

MARA Offers Lifeline To Student Who Almost Turned Down Al-Azhar Medical Place

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