Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development (KUSKOP) Minister Steven Sim is no stranger to having ‘adoptive children’ in the form of underprivileged students whom he supports both emotionally and financially. Recently, he shared how proud he is of one of these students, Putri, who has maintained academic excellence despite facing significant personal hardships.
Taking to his Facebook page, Sim, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bukit Mertajam, recounted a recent visit to Putri, who had just undergone surgery following health complications. During the visit, Putri showed him the laptop Sim had gifted her years ago for her studies, a tool she has relied on throughout her education.
He wrote:
“In a few days, Hari Raya will arrive. Having some free time, I managed to visit one of my adoptive children, Putri, who has just been discharged from hospital. Putri has been my adoptive child since she was studying for her diploma at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM); today, she is on the verge of graduating from Universiti Malaya (UM).”
“Recently, Putri had to undergo surgery due to health issues. I helped cover some of the medical costs, but at the time, my work schedule was too busy to visit her in the hospital.”
His pride and joy
Sim went on to explain why he is so proud of Putri, citing her resilience and determination to succeed despite her circumstances.
“Putri is an adoptive child of whom I am very proud. Her family lives in challenging circumstances; both her father and mother suffer from chronic health problems. Her father is a heart patient awaiting a bypass. Now, Putri herself has fallen ill. She admitted she is in pain, and despite the operation, doctors say she must continue medication to manage it.”
“If others were tested so severely, they might have given up. But Putri never did. Knowing her parents are struggling, she works part-time. She studied hard, earning the Vice Chancellor’s Award during her diploma, and has since received the Dean’s List at UM three times,” he said.
He concluded his post by sharing that Putri is about to begin her internship. He has offered her a position at his Ministry, not because of their personal connection, but as a reward for her outstanding academic achievements.
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