Cleaner's son defies odds, proves capability of studying abroad

MELAKA - A son of a cleaner defies the odds proving that he is capable of studying abroad, despite his mother's vocation.

Twenty-one-year-old Jeffry Rais Jamaludin said he used the taunts and jeers on his mother as a motivation to study and work harder.

His hard work paid off when he was offered a place in the Terendak Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) in 2018 and scored with flying colours in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) the following year.

His mother, Aisah Iberahim, 49, works as a cleaning staff at SWM Environment Melaka while his father Jamaludin Kamis, 59, is a lorry driver.

“Coming from a modest household, I want to prove to those who sneered at me that I too can excel,” said Jeffry who is now completing his Bachelor in Chemical-Engineering in France.

“Alhamdulillah, God answers my prayers. I am now in my second year and hope I can go further in my studies and perhaps set my career overseas,” he said when met at the SWM Environment Melaka office in Cheng, here.

Aisah, on the other hand said she was initially apprehensive to let her third child, out of four children further his studies overseas after hearing stories of Islamophobia in France.

However, she was confident that Jeffry would be able to handle it as he is an independent son.

“At first, I couldn’t believe that my son would study abroad but I am proud of him as he wants to help better the quality of our livelihood.

“What’s important, no favouritism. Every child has their own strength,” Aisah said, adding that she is supporting her second son who is now studying at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in Skudai, Johor.