SHAH ALAM - In a emotional acceptance speech, recent Royal Education Award recipient M Nahvin challenged the status quo by calling for meritocracy in education and the protection of minority rights.
Nahvin recounted a personal anecdote of a close friend who, despite possessing similar qualifications, was denied admission into a matriculation programme while Nahvin was accepted.
"He felt defeated, as if it was the end of his life.
"He became lonely and depressed because he felt he was not good enough," Nahvin recounted, his voice heavy with emotion.
Nahvin expressed disbelief upon discovering that students with lower grades than his friend were enrolled in the matriculation programme.
"Dear distinguished ladies and gentlemen, my friend is no more. I can assure you that if he was given the same opportunity as I, he would be the one giving this speech and not me," he said.
Nahvin highlighted that his speech was not about personal accolades but rather about the plight of minorities and the need for education to be accessible to all qualified individuals, regardless of racial or religious background.
"We need to prioritise meritocracy in our education system instead of quotas introduced by political parties to divide and separate us," he declared, advocating for a more equitable and inclusive approach.
"Meritocracy is the only way to see a united and fair future for Malaysia. I have worked so hard to be here and to represent the voice of minorities that are often silenced," he added.
Nahvin concluded his speech with a heartfelt plea, hoping that his message would reach the ears of those in power and inspire change.
"I hope that my voice will be heard and that the plight of minorities will no longer be ignored," he pleaded.
Nahvin, a graduate of Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) with a bachelor's degree in computer science (artificial intelligence), received the prestigious Royal Education Award earlier this month.
His speech, streamed online by UTeM, has garnered widespread attention and sparked discussions about meritocracy and minority rights in Malaysian education.
The Royal Education Awards are presented annually to two outstanding students from each of Malaysia's 20 public universities.