KUALA TERENGGANU - At the age of 14, Muhammad Syukur Khamis became the focus of the world when a photo of his natural affinity with more than 50 buffaloes on his father's farm went viral.
The image quickly earned him the nickname ‘Mowgli Malaysia.
Coupled with his starring role in a television series, ‘Budok Kuba’, some likely think that this young ‘animal whisperer’ will migrate to Kuala Lumpur to further his career when he grows up.
However, the now 19-year-old is determined to remain a ‘kampung boy’ as he believes that with his newly acquired skills in TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training), he can create golden opportunities right in his home state of Terengganu.
The nickname ‘Mowgli,’ of course, originates from Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book - a fictional story of an abandoned boy raised by wolves in India’s jungle.
For Syukur, however, it represents much more than just an image.
When he’s not riding one of his horned, mud-caked buffaloes under the hot sun, he can be found working at his brother’s motorcycle workshop in Kampung Banggol Katong, where he serves as both the interim manager and mechanic.
His skills, honed during a six-month training at the Hulu Terengganu GiatMARA Centre, have made him an expert in repairing all types of motorcycles.
"My interest in repairing motorcycles has been there since I was in school. I once tried to change the engine oil on a motorcycle, but I made a mistake and caused major damage. That didn’t stop me, though. It’s actually why I decided to join TVET after school. I enrolled in a Motorcycle Technology course and graduated in June last year.
"I believe that it is the knowledge and skills that I have now that prompted my brother (Mohd Alias Khamis) to entrust me to manage his workshop because he is busy as an instructor at the Hulu Terengganu GiatMARA Centre,” Syukur, the youngest of eight siblings, told Bernama when met at the workshop recently.
The young man admitted that he was happy with his career choice because he still had time to manage his farm of more than 80 buffaloes, 30 goats and three cattle, all inherited from his father.
Despite juggling two jobs, Syukur finds his routine manageable thanks to flexible working hours.
His day begins at dawn when he tends to his livestock before heading to the workshop and back to the farm later in the afternoon.
For him, home is where his heart is, not where the money is.
"There are plenty of job opportunities in TVET. The important thing is, that we have to be really interested in the field of study and focus while undergoing training. If you are still looking for a direction after finishing school, try to attend TVET at GiatMARA Centre because there are too many job and entrepreneurship opportunities you can venture into later.
"There is no need to move to other states...because if we are skilful, we can survive anywhere, Insya-Allah. TVET offers a bright future,” said the happy Mowgli who dreams of expanding his expertise to car repair and one day owning his own workshop. He even envisions becoming a TVET instructor.
His brother, Mohd Alias Khamis, 34, is proud that Syukur is following in his footsteps.
As a former GiatMARA Motorcycle Technology trainee, Alias believes TVET provides not only job opportunities but also entrepreneurial potential, and TVET students not only go where their skills are in high demand, but the fortunate ones also receive help from benefactors who spring up if they wanted to start their own businesses.
Singling himself out as a prime example, Alias said he received RM10,000 worth of motorcycle repair equipment from GiatMARA when he first opened a workshop in 2012/
"In fact, there is equipment given through the Technical Entrepreneur Development Programme such as a compressor that I still use today. TVET completely shaped my life and I would like TVET graduates to know that the new skills they acquire will open up new doors to jobs, entrepreneurship and high-income opportunities based on competence and individual performance.
"Look for experience first. Like me, after completing my training in 2010, I used to work in other people's workshops with a basic salary of a measly RM12 a day but I didn’t mind so long as I gained experience and knowledge,” said the father of three whose workshop which offers motorcycle repair including high-powered bikes and also vehicle spray-painting, is getting a favourable response not only from within Terengganu but from outside the state as well.
In the meantime, Hulu Terengganu GiatMARA Centre manager Siti Naemah Abd Hakim Amir said the courses offered at all GiatMARA centres are varied and depend on the environment of an area to ensure the marketability of its trainees.
"Specifically, the Hulu Terengganu GiatMARA Centre has three courses relevant to the local community, namely the Welding and Metal Fabrication Course; Motorcycle Technology Course; and Electrical Wiring Course.
"The modules of each course will also be constantly improved to stay current with market trends. For example, the trainees of the Motorcycle Technology Course are now also trained in repairing high-powered motorbikes since that kind of bike riding activity is popular among locals,” she said.
Dismissing the long-held claim that TVET is a second choice for school leavers who do not get a place in institutions of higher learning, Siti Naemah pointed out that currently, more and more excellent students are applying to continue their studies in that field at GiatMARA.
"We receive many applications, but we have to limit our intake based on interviews to ensure we select those who are truly interested. We are also working closely with industry players to incorporate elements of skills, training and entrepreneurship into our curriculum,” she said.
Siti Naemah said with the integration of these three elements, TVET students are not only better prepared to work in the industry but also have the potential to become successful and high-income entrepreneurs and can contribute to the country’s economic growth and development.
"This can facilitate the trainees’ career paths besides constantly monitoring their progress after the end of training,” she said, raising their hope of being TVET pioneers for a brighter future. - BERNAMA