On 13th Sept 2022, the Perak Orang Asli Association was the first of many organisations to congratulate Susherrie Suki for graduating with first-class honours from University College London (UCL) Bartlett School of Planning.
With both parents originating from the Semai Tribe in Perak, Susherrie became the first ever Orang Asli graduate in Peninsular Malaysia to be awarded a First Class Degree from UCL.
In the photo below, Susherrie is wearing a headgear called Tempok and a sash called Selempang on her convocation day, both of which are part of the Orang Asli traditional outfit usually worn as cultural symbols.
She did her bachelors in Urban Planning and Real Estate because of her passion for buildings, urban design, and policy-making. All of this was made possible thanks to the MARA Young Talent Development Program that recognised Susherrie’s outstanding SPM results of 10As, then went on to sponsor her pre-university and university studies.
In a LinkedIn post, she expresses her gratitude to her family, friends and teachers from Kolej MARA Seremban (KMS) and UCL as well as MARA for the incredible support they have shown her throughout her studies and life.
“I never dreamt of studying or working overseas. I was just very lucky and privileged to have obtained the MARA scholarship as a Bumiputera”, Susherrie told WORLD OF BUZZ.
She adds that her father’s Datukship was not the reason for her achievement.
“My dad obtained his Datukship because of his contribution to society. Not everyone who is a Datuk is wealthy or well-connected“, she explains.
“We are a middle-income family in Malaysia. My family never could afford to send me to an international school or a university overseas.”
Overcoming Orang Asli stigmatisation
“My only focus growing up was to just get good grades, be active in extra-curricular activities, and eventually land a well-paying job.”
“But as I grew older and matured, I started noticing the stereotypes and stigma the Orang Asli community faces.”
Susherrie shared with WORLD OF BUZZ the times she has heard people use derogatory terms such as “jakun” without knowing its actual meaning and make offensive comments like, “I have seen her before, she is the one who sells honey in Cameron Highlands”.
Such instances ignited her desire and motivated her to help break the stigma surrounding the Orang Asli community.
“I like sharing about our culture. I’ve taught my friend a bit of the Semai language during college and university, written essays and brought up issues concerning Orang Asli in class discussions.”
“It is very relevant because we have a lot of seminars and lectures about land disputes and environmental degradation, which are common issues the Orang Asli community faces as many still live on their ancestral lands in the forests“, she said.
Reaching new heights
This academic year, Susherrie plans on pursuing a masters degree in Urban Design and City Planning in the same university and has secured an offer.
She views her achievements as a way of bringing attention to other accomplished Orang Asli.
“People need to let go of the stereotype that all Orang Asli only live in villages; that we are ignorant and clueless about city life.”
“There is a substantial number of Orang Asli still living in villages but I think people need to be aware that there are also a lot of us currently residing in the city, working in huge corporations, and are very successful in our own ways.”
Congratulations on your achievements, Susherrie! We are so extremely proud of you! WORLD OF BUZZ wishes you all the best and thank you for taking the time to talk to us!
Also read: Sabahan Vocational Student Amazingly Advances To Top 10 of the 2022 Global Student Prize!
