KOTA BHARU: While her peers studied with full vision, Tengku Norhanis Tengku Othman relied on just one eye, defying all odds to earn the title of Kelantan’s top special needs candidate in the 2024 STPM with a perfect CGPA of 4.00.
The gentle smile of the 19-year-old belies an extraordinary story of resilience. At age two, she was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a form of eye cancer, and had to have her left eye removed to save her life.
“Although I was very young then, I knew life wasn’t about complaining. I believed God still gave me hope,” she told reporters at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Naim Lilbanat today.
Tengku Norhanis sat for Pengajian Am, Bahasa Melayu, Bahasa Arab, Usuluddin dan Syaria.
“My goal was just 3.7, and I would’ve been grateful for that. But when I found out I got 4.00, I broke down in tears. Allah gave me more than I asked for,” said the student who was granted a 30-minute time extension as a special needs candidate.
Never viewing her condition as a barrier, Tengku Norhanis studied with discipline and consistency, only pausing when headaches struck due to the strain on her right eye, which she depends on to read and write.
The seventh of eight siblings, she was raised in a modest but loving home in Kampung Tanjong, Tumpat. Her mother, Gayah Yazid, 61, is a retired teacher, while her father, Tengku Othman Tuan Yahya, 63, runs a soft drink business.
“She’s an extraordinary child. We never imagined she’d achieve this kind of result. But looking at her determination, she truly deserves the best,” said Gayah.
Norhanis aspires to pursue a degree in Tahfiz and Qiraati Education at Kolej Universiti Islam Selangor.
“I want to teach other children, just as my teachers patiently guided me. This is how I repay their kindness,” she said.
Meanwhile, SMKA Naim Lilbanat principal, Ab Raisham Ab Rashid, described her success as a powerful reminder that true strength lies not in physical ability, but in a spirit that refuses to give up.
“She has proven that limitations are no obstacle to academic excellence in STPM. We at SMKA Naim Lilbanat are immensely proud of her achievement,” he said.
