Talk about dedication and determination!
We all know of the struggles that our delivery riders have to go through. From having to deal with impatient and rude customers, to customers who are not considerate enough about their time. This has led to a newfound sense of respect for our delivery riders who are sources of inspiration for many of us due to the hard work and perseverance that they put in trying to make a living.
As if their struggle isn’t difficult enough, a local food delivery rider in Pahang has upped the stakes as he managed to complete his PhD whilst working simultaneously as a food delivery rider.
On 27 September, Foodpanda rider Mohd Akmal based at Bandar Indera Mahkota, Pahang, shared photos of himself and his doctoral dissertation in the field of Pharmaceutical Technology from Universiti Malaysia Pahang on the Facebook group “Foodpanda Rider Malaysia”.
The post by Akmal reads, “Praise to God.. finally finished my PhD after almost four years..”
In an interview with Kosmo!, the 36-year-old from Selangor said, “I’ve been working as a full-time rider since the start of the Movement Control Order (MCO), last year whilst continuing my studies at Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Gambang.”
“This job taught me a lot about ‘soft skills’, how to communicate and helped me to cultivate patience and time management skills.”
On his daily routine, Akmal said, “Usually in the morning I will spend time working and in the evening I will complete my thesis. If the work involves my attendance at the university, I will take leave. Thankfully, God has made everything easier.”
Akmal said that his thesis analyses the use of probiotic products in tablet form that have tolerance against acid in the stomach and is titled “Product Development and Evaluation of Probiotic Tablet From Locally Isolated Yeast Saccharomyces Boulardii For Stomach Acid Tolerance.”
The married father of five also thanked his wife for her support and understanding of his daily routine as a student.
Akmal also said that working as a rider is his main source of income and he struggled with balancing his time and energy.
His post has garnered plenty of attention and acquired over 6,700 likes, 650 comments and more than 960 shares at the time of writing. Many Malaysians were proud of his achievement and congratulated him.
It even caught the attention of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Regent of Pahang who invited him to Istana Abdulaziz. Yesterday, 29 September, The official Facebook page of The House of Pahang uploaded photos of Mohd Akmal alongside Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah.
In their post, the palace said, “In appreciation of his perseverance, His Royal Highness the Regent of Pahang Tengku Mahkota Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah today agreed to meet Mr Mohd Akmal at Istana Abdulaziz, Kuantan.”
The palace noted that as a sign of appreciation for his hard work, the royal family congratulated Mohd Akmal and granted him a donation.
Only some may know how difficult it is to balance studies and work at the same time. We would like to congratulate Akmal on his achievement and hope that his story will inspire fellow Malaysians to not give up on their dreams and continue to work hard for them in the face of any obstacles.
What do you think of Akmal’s achievement? Let us know in the comments.
