Skip to main content

Slide Introduction Stories Lessons BM | ENG

Slide 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Slide of Our Movement Why we do what we do: It is always about the PEOPLE, the different lives that came together because of our work. We are constantly inspired by the journeys of our students, educators and community. SITI HAJAR During my time in SMK Pendaraman Jaya, Cikgu Loh was one of the best teachers I’ve had the honour to learn from as a student until I was done with SPM. Since joining Project ID (a TFM Alumni organisation), he taught me to be myself, to go for what I wanted to do and to believe in myself especially when no one else would.

Fellows like Cikgu Loh have inspired me to become a better person ever since. Having teachers that could spark great chemistry with the students (especially those in the B40 community) is bound to make a significant difference. It has led me to representing the state at national-level tournaments in archery since I was 16.
The Faces

Slide Kelvin Tan ‘12 Loh Chee Hoo‘12 Joyce Ching ‘12
Kamil Hakimie ‘14 Elizabeth Wong ‘12 Ivanka Fam ‘17 Hajar was a student of SMK Pendamaran Jaya and a recipient of the Sunway-TFM Scholarship and Global Korea Scholarship 2022. She was a panelist at the CIMB's Cooler Earth Sustainability Summit 2021, a state-level archer for the Selangor Archery Team, a student alumni of Project ID, and a committee member of Impian Kencana, another TFM Alumni initiative that offers a coaching programme for B40 students from the Program Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) communities. Currently, she is in Daegu University’s Korean Language Education Centre for her language programme this year and afterwards, she will be pursuing her undergraduate studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, Korea.

Throughout her secondary school years, she has been guided by various Fellows in her school, and with Project ID, such as Loh Chee Hoo ‘14, Kelvin Tan ‘12, Joyce Ching ‘12, Elizabeth Wong ‘14, Kamil Hakimie ‘14, Ang Chiew Teng ‘17, Ivanka Fam ‘17 and Sofea Hafek ‘19.

Loh Chee Hoo is a 2014 Alumnus who graduated from Universiti Sains Malaysia with Applied Statistics. He is a Teaching Alumnus and and is currently involved with Project ID.

Sofea Hafek is a 2019 Alumna who graduated from Cardiff University with a Masters in Science. She is currently working with Grab.
Sofea Hafek ‘19
Ang Chiew Teng ‘17 Sofea Hafek '19, Siti Hajar Kelvin Tan '12, Ivanka Fam '17, Siti Hajar Whilst waiting for my SPM results to come out, I had a downhill in confidence and lost my direction to move forward in life. Earning my first salary and experiencing daily life in KL as an intern through Project ID has opened my eyes as a ‘kampung girl’ and helped me step out of my comfort zone. Under the mentorship of another Fellow Cikgu Sofea, I could find a way to move forward again. She would tell me, “It doesn’t hurt to try, and what if things go well? We will never know.” Those words would help me believe in a tiny possibility that these “impossible opportunities” are not out of reach.

After 4 restless months, 3 rounds of the application process and holding on to good things in life, I managed to be selected as a successful candidate for the 2022 Global Korea Scholarship and will soon be pursuing Computer Sciences & Engineering in Korea.

Slide SHAWN Coming from a low-income family, I grew up in an environment without amenities like toys or television. In fact, the only way I could watch TV was through my neighbour’s windows. However, I understood that it wasn’t easy to earn money, so I decided to earn money independently to support my mother. When I was 13, I had already started working in a restaurant to reduce my mother’s burden and to obtain extra income, all of which I would give to my mother.

Then, in Form 4, I encountered Cikgu Brian. He was a 2012 Fellow and was a dedicated teacher that saw and encouraged my potential in Mathematics. Cikgu Brian selected me for a Mathematical Olympiad, which became the first step of inspiration for me to take up accounting in Form 6. To sustain my studies, I continued working at restaurants during the weekends, and later achieved a 3.75 CGPA.
Play Video

Slide Throughout my studies, Cikgu Brian would stay in touch, advising me to participate in activities outside of school for my upcoming university application and even helping me apply for a scholarship. Not only did he improve my English for my IELTS test through practical training, but he would also let me stay with him while I resided in KL. I finally achieved Band 6 for my IELTS and obtained a scholarship to study Accounting. Thank you Cikgu Brian, for helping me discover my future after SPM. Jasmine Ong '12, Chee Ching (student), Chan Soon Seng '12, Shawn and Brian Geh '12 Shawn has recently graduated from Sunway University with a Bachelor’s in Accounting and Finance on the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation Scholarship He encountered 2012 Cohort Fellows Brian Geh, Chan Soon Seng and Jasmine Ong who taught at his school, and continued to support him past his high-school studies. He was also guided by 2012 Cohort Fellows Cheah Kok Hin and Connie Foong, and Ida Thien from Closing The Gap. Previously, he was President of the Student Council at Sunway University Business School and interned at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Having graduated, he is now working and concurrently pursuing his ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) qualification. Brian Geh is a 2012 Alumnus who graduated from the University of Cambridge with a Master’s in Mathematics. He is currently working at McKinsey & Co. and is also the Co-Founder of Closing The Gap.

Shawn and Brian’s story was instrumental in the birth of Closing The Gap, a programme that aims to empower high-potential, under-represented students with the knowledge, skills and mindset to enter universities and achieve their fullest potential. Closing The Gap has impacted 284 Scholars from 65 schools nationwide to navigate the complexities of the post-SPM landscape and help them get into universities.

Slide CIKGU ANGLELINA 5 years ago, I met Lisa when she was 13. She didn't seem like the confident type. She would always walk around with her head down and is mostly quiet. She wasn't a very good student, but she tried hard.

Her best subject was art. She is a really remarkable artist - that’s what I know about her. Once, I wanted to understand her more, so I asked her to tell me about her family. When she refused to talk, I asked her to draw instead. From the drawing, I knew that she had an older sister and a younger brother.

Slide Thank you, Lisa, for teaching me how to be a teacher.
Perhaps, teaching is not a profession, but a passion.
Another time, I asked what her favourite item was. She drew me a teru teru bōzu, a small traditional handmade doll made of white paper that Japanese farmers would hang outside of their windows by a string. They are believed to help stop the rain and bring about a sunny tomorrow. Knowing that she loves drawing, I would give her gifts like drawing paper from time to time. It was her way of expressing herself and her thoughts. I was really excited having her in my class for a year when she was 16 years old.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, schools were closed and I didn't manage to contact her much. I still feel some regret for not being able to make a bigger impact on her.

Now in 2022, Lisa is in Form 5 and it’s her last year in school. The day before Teacher's Day celebration, she texted me saying, "Teacher, thank you for everything you have given to me all this while. I rarely go out of my house so I decided to draw something for you."
Just from that drawing, I was able to understand all the feelings she had towards me. Many people have helped me learn about love, but you gave me the impetus to teach. Anglelina Sii is a 2015 Alumna, who continued teaching after the Fellowship. She currently teaches in Miri, Sarawak at SMK Merbau.

Slide ADZRUL SYAFIQ I joined the Fellowship in 2015, and have always been a firm believer that it takes a village to raise a child. I also believe that building relationships with the local community plays an important role in unlocking a child’s potential.

Most crocodile attack incidents recorded in Malaysia take place in Sarawak, a state where I was posted during my Fellowship. With the support of Curtin University’s Office of Research and Development and the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM), I assisted my students in designing a simple electronic signalling system that could serve as an alarm or early warning system to alert the riverine community whenever crocodiles were detected in nearby rivers. The students were required to demonstrate their concepts and designs using Arduino electronic kits and basic programming. As a result, my students won the Gold award in the Curtin Croc Challenge.

Slide I believe that quality education includes empowering students to be agents of change to solve issues within their
own communities, while exposing them to knowledge and opportunities that go beyond the 4 walls of a classroom.
Beyond my Fellowship, I also brought 2 students to visit Parlimen Negara in 2019 to witness a historical moment
where all MPs came up with a unanimous vote to pass the Bill to lower the voting age from 21 to 18 years old.
When you cannot bring your students to the world, bring the world to your students. I also brought international friends from Turkey, USA, and France to visit my school to share and exchange experiences with my students. This taught my students that there’s more to the world beyond their classroom. Adzrul Syafiq is a 2015 Alumnus. He graduated from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) in Law. He taught in SMK Lutong, Miri, Sarawak until 2021 as a History and STEM subject teacher. In 2017, he improved the final year examination class average by more than 16% for 8 classes. I also initiated the AIESEC-Asean Global Village with over 200 students that aimed to promote ASEAN development and regional identity. Through these experiences and interactions, I realised that closing the gap of education inequity is an issue that teachers from all parts of the world experience. This motivated me to build my competency in education strategies, particularly in dealing with curriculum design and youth empowerment.

He represented Malaysia at the Qudwa Global Teachers’ Forum in Abu Dhabi, UAE in 2017. He was also a participant in the 2018 Honeywell Educators Space Academy (HESA) at the U.S. Space & Rocket Centre (USSRC) in Huntsville, Alabama, USA.

Syafiq is currently pursuing his MSc Education at The University of Edinburgh. He believes that it is vital for educators to learn more about cognitive behavioural strategies to empower students in taking ownership of their own learning, and thus become critical thinkers and independent learners.

Slide GAN JIA HUEY - 2022 COHORT I first met Cikgu Chong at my secondary school in 2014. Although he wasn’t one of my class teachers, he was one of the most enthusiastic teachers I knew. He organised an Olympiad Math competition for students to sign up and be a part of. This wasn’t just a one-off incident.

Throughout my school life, he would always provide students with lots of opportunities to explore outside of what we know and see what's there in the world. Technology exhibitions, university visits, and even just calling us out for lunch. Going the extra mile wasn't an easy thing to do, but whenever he saw a student's interest in something, he would do something for them. Beyond enthusiasm for teaching, he had a deep care for his students and wanted us to find what we love and give us an opportunity to explore.

Slide Looking back, maybe it doesn’t seem like anything drastically life-changing, but he provided us with a platform to find our passions and activities to build our character. As someone quieter, I didn’t proactively look for chances to do these sorts of things and, I don’t think I would’ve developed myself as much as I did, but Cikgu Chong helped me go out of my comfort zone. Having now known about Teach For Malaysia and realising my interest in teaching, I took the initiative to apply for the Fellowship in 2022. My experience with refugee children has led me to see that education isn’t accessible to everybody. Schools aren't just a place to learn, they’re also a place to have a space to grow, have fun, meet new people and find new opportunities. Chong Zhi Xiong is a 2014 Alumnus who graduated from the Imperial College London with a degree in Materials with Nuclear Engineering. As a Fellow, he taught at SMK Puchong Batu 14 for 2 years. Currently, he is involved with Chumbaka (a TFM Alumni organisation) as the Chief Learning Officer.

Gan Jia Huey was a student of Zhi Xiong at SMK Puchong Batu 14. After high school, she pursued a degree in Psychology at Sunway University. Currently, Jia Huey is a 2022 Cohort Fellow, teaching in a school in Perak. She is the first student of a Teach For Malaysia Fellow to become a Fellow herself.
I hope to be able to do that for my students, just as Cikgu Chong did for me.

Slide MUHAMMAD ANAS I first met Alif when he was a Form 2 student in 2017, during my first year of the Fellowship. I never had any formal classes with him, and I was more of a mentor to him than a teacher. Alif’s mother was a school janitor, we had a good relationship and would often discuss about Alif’s progress in school. Coming from a B40 background, she was very hopeful for Alif’s future and wanted him to lead a better life, which motivated me to keep in touch with him.

I believed in Alif’s potential and brought him to the Inspire Southeast Asia Camp, an initiative that was held in collaboration with TFM. I had previously volunteered at the Camp as a facilitator in 2014, which was how I learned about TFM and was inspired to become a teacher and empower students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The camp played an important role in my own life, and it had also inspired Alif to improve his studies.

Slide He was not a bright student, and I would give him and his friends extra classes in Form 3 and Form 5. He scored 7As in SPM and became one of the best students in school, despite only scoring 1 or 2 As in his trial exams.

Beyond exams, I introduced Alif to sports and encouraged him to participate in innovation competitions and digital poster making. Winning those competitions helped him to discover his potential and believe that he was capable.
Alif is my closest student and was very determined to become a teacher. He shared that he was inspired by how I had leveraged on his potential and helped him develop into the person he is now, and wanted to impact students like him. Despite being rejected three times, he did not give up. Now, he’s been accepted into IPG and achieved his dream to become a teacher.
Muhammad Anas is a 2017 Alumnus, and graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology at the University of Queensland. He continues to teach in SMK Kota Masai 2, Pasir Gudang since he was placed there in 2017.

Slide PROGRAM DUTA GURU BIRTH STORY "Program Duta Guru (PDG) was created by Yayasan PETRONAS to support the Malaysian education sector in a systematic, holistic, and sustainable manner. We are committed to contribute to the nation’s 60:40 STEM enrolment policy and through PDG, aim to nurture our children to be more competent and interested in STEM. Why? As future challenges will require more technologically advanced solutions, Malaysia requires sufficient STEM students with higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) to remain a competitive nation.” - Puan Shariah Nelly Francis, CEO of Yayasan PETRONAS

Slide Since our inception, Teach For Malaysia has been on a journey of growing a movement of leaders passionate about empowering children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Leadership development has always been at the core of our work, and in 2019, we had the opportunity to expand our reach and impact through a partnership with Yayasan PETRONAS. At the time, TFM was exploring potential programmes with in-service teachers to build greater collaboration with the MOE as well as longer term impact at the school level, whilst Yayasan PETRONAS was also exploring programmes to develop STEM teachers nationwide which was an exciting synergy. The development of PDG was a collaborative process through multiple workshops involving teachers, STEM industry experts, as well as Ministry of Education representatives from the district, state, and federal level to provide input and co-design the content and modules to ensure it was highly beneficial to teachers and aligned to MOE’s objectives. PDG had a particular rocky start after it was launched due to the pandemic which required the team to be highly adaptable to shifting the programme virtually as well as redesigning sessions that were helpful for teachers coping with school closures. Nevertheless, the perseverance of both the working committee and the teachers allowed us to innovate and create meaningful learning experiences for all the participants. Overall, PDG presented TFM an opportunity to not only expand our reach of teachers trained but also allowed us to form new and exciting partnerships with state and district offices as well as leverage on the industrial expertise of PETRONAS to bring a truly unique programmatic experience and value for teachers. We are so proud to have the opportunity to work with so many different stakeholders to build a strong public private partnership that will ultimately empower children across Malaysia to realise their potential. Program Duta Guru was officially launched in December 2019 as a collaboration between Yayasan PETRONAS and the Ministry of Education (MOE) through Pusat STEM Negara with Teach For Malaysia as the programme implementation partner which aims to empower 4,500 teachers to be highly competent and committed in order to serve as role models to enhance Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) through STEM education as a foundation to being a competitive nation by 2030.

Slide Ibu Miza - Program Duta Guru
Cohort 2 Teacher
In 2018, I was placed in a B40 school, which opened my eyes to the gaps in education. In my 28 years of teaching, it was only then that I realised the different starting lines students begin their educational journey with.

It’s my belief that everyone should start on the same playing field. I took the initiative to provide my students with basic necessities like pencils, books, and even socks, all to ensure that everyone had an adequate footing when learning in class. The fact that my students lacked these items was already a concern.

Slide In class, I refer to myself as ‘Ibu Miza’ to connect better with my students and help them feel safer to create a better learning environment for them. My focus will always be on what my students will learn. It’s not enough to only care about what they will be taught. To that end, it’s always a blast to find new and creative ways to teach, so my students come out of the classroom having learnt something. Joining Program Duta Guru’s Cohort 2 in early 2021 has led to many improvements. I have learned, unlearned and relearned the education blueprint to integrate it better into my lessons. I have found camaraderie among my fellow PDG members, whom I have worked with in a like-minded passion for learning how to become a better teacher for my students. I have learned to appreciate my own value as an educator and mentor to fellow educators around me. It warms my heart to know that there is a community of teachers who want to do everything to help their students as well. Rosmizana Yahya is a participant from Program Duta Guru (PDG) Cohort 2. Regardless of profession, my hope is that my students will grow into knowledgeable adults, a trait they will continue to pass down to future generations to come.

Slide CIKGU RATNA I have always believed that the majority of our society has been deprived of a meaningful education. This, in my opinion, contributes to the negative social issues in the country.

After my STPM, I had applied to many public universities to continue furthering my studies, but I was offered no placement. My only option was to enrol in a private university, something I tremendously lacked funds for. It was only with the guidance of caring individuals that encouraged me to apply for a scholarship, that I would go on to complete my business degree in a private university.

Slide It never crossed my mind that today I would call myself a teacher to teenagers in a government school. I always imagined myself climbing the corporate ladder. Nowadays, my personal goal is to develop a passion for learning and build confidence in the students I teach. Education is the key to a healthier society. Being a Fellow gives me a great opportunity to educate, inspire and motivate future generations to lift themselves – and our nation – with great pride and unity. It is a chance to open young minds to love and respect one another, transcending the borders of colour and spiritual beliefs. Having experienced education inequity myself, I know that given the right opportunity, every student can reach their full potential. Ratnadewi studied at University of Nottingham and was a YTL Foundation Scholar in 2005. She continues to teach in SMK Segambut, Kuala Lumpur since she was placed there in 2012.
We determine our future, and it is our responsibility to educate, shape and equip the younger generation to the best of our abilities, as it is they who will bring that vision to fruition.

Slide SELVI I have been with Teach For Malaysia since 11th October 2010. The past ten years have flown by very fast and it's been a very long journey. Teach For Malaysia was just a small group of people when I first joined. I had no idea what the organisation was planning to do, but couldn’t help but be impressed by the other staff who handled every situation very professionally. With many kinks to work out as a new organisation, every single matter and discussion was handled in a calm and patient manner. Although it was a small group, there was full and active involvement from everyone, especially in attending every event.

Slide I still remember how we all had to work until midnight during our launch. It was tiring, but also joyful and exciting. The launch happened on 24 December 2010. We didn’t expect so many people to turn up, but about 350 people came for the launch. Of course, there’s been ups and downs over the last 10 years. I’ve faced many challenges and struggles with a lot of things, but managed to get things done nonetheless. 10 years in Teach For Malaysia has given me a wealth of experience which has led to a constant learning process where I’m able to constantly hone my skills. At the end of the day, I’m still here, and there’s a reason for that. I believe in the company and most importantly, I believe in our CEO. If I can replicate my own employment experience for my peers and colleagues, I’ll know that I’m doing my job right. I have a great relationship with all the staffs here, and without exaggeration, I feel like Teach For Malaysia is the best place that I have ever worked at. It’s become a second home, and I always miss the office when I am away.

I’ve learned a few lessons along the way - don’t take yourself too seriously, treat others as you wish to be treated, always observe with a long-term perspective, listen and consider everything as an opportunity, value your service and respect your peers, colleagues and most importantly stakeholders. It’s been a wonderful journey with a lot of challenges, commitment, and new learnings such as interpersonal skills and having a positive attitude.

Thank you. I cherish and enjoy every minute of it.
Selvi has been Teach For Malaysia’s Office Manager for 10 years. She is currently a part of the Finance & Operations team, and is one of Teach For Malaysia’s most senior/most loved staff members.


Teach For Malaysia is a proud partner of the Ministry of Education and the Global Education Network, Teach For All. TFM Foundation (919785 P) is a registered charity and a Ministry of Finance tax exempt organisation.

Get To Know Us

  • Why We Exist
  • People
  • 2030 Strategy
  • Contact Us

Fellowship

  • Fellowship
  • The Fellowship Pathways
  • How To Apply
  • The Fellowship Journey and Beyond
  • Fellowship FAQ

Our Work

  • Program Duta Guru
  • Tutoring Programme
  • Distance Learning Resources

Copyright © 2022 Teach For Malaysia. All rights reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Anti - Harassment Policy | Child Protection Policy

  • twitter
  • facebook
  • linkedin
  • youtube
  • instagram
  • tiktok
Close Menu
  • About
    • blank
      • People
      • Contact Us
    • blank
      • Why We Exist
    • blank
      • 2030 Strategy
  • What We Do
    • blank
      • Fellowship
      • Program Duta Guru
    • blank
      • Other Programmes
        • Tutoring Programme
      • Educational Recovery
        • Community Mobilisation
    • blank
      • Additional Resources
        • Student Leadership
        • Distance Learning Resources
  • Impact & News
    • Our Impact
    • Stories
    • Media
  • Join Us
    • Work With Us
    • Fundraise With Us
    • Partner With Us
    • Interns & Campus Leaders
  • Apply
    • blank
      • Apply Fellowship
    • blank
      • Campus Leader
      • Tutoring Programme
  • Donate
  • en_US ENG
    en_US ENG ms_MY MY