STUDENT HELPER AT SEREMBAN 'PASAR MALAM' WINS SOUTH AUSTRALIA'S MERDEKA AWARD

By Neville D'Cruz

ADELAIDE, Aug 24 (Bernama) -- A young Malaysian who helped his father at a
pasar malam ( night market) stall in Seremban "to get some hard-earned money"
clinched the prestigious Merdeka Award for being the outstanding Malaysian
student at the University of Adelaide over the weekend.

Hussen Hassan, a former student of SMK St Paul's in Seremban, told Bernama
that he used to accompany his father, Hassan Ali, to the night market to
supplement the family income. Seremban is the capital of the Malaysian state of
Negeri Sembilan.

The Merdeka Awards 2010 are offered to top Malaysian students studying in
universities in South Australia. The purpose of the awards, which are strongly
supported by key South Australian companies, is to further enhance and expand
relationship with Malaysia, strengthen understanding and make positive
contributions of mutual benefit and co-operation to businesses and professional
development.

Each winner gets A$1,000, trophy and a certificate. The best among the
winners gets an additional A$500 and a computer. A panel of judges, comprising a
Queen's Counsel and academics, selects the winners.

The awards were presented by the awards patron, the former governor of South
Australia Sir Eric Neal at a gala dinner here organised by the
Australia-Malaysia Business Council, South Australia chapter, last Saturday.

Among the 160 guests were the current Governor of South Australia, Rear
Admiral (Rtd) Kevin Scarce, Malaysian High Commissioner to Australia, Salman
Ahmad, and the Vietnamese-born Lieutenant Governor Hieu Van Le.

"My father and mother, Taj Banu, taught me to be hardworking and
responsible," said Hussen, who is completing a Bachelor of Commerce
(accounting).

Mohd Hakim Hamid, of Kuantan, emerged overall Merdeka Award winner.
From the time he began schooling in the Malaysian states of Kelantan and later
in Pahang, he always topped his class, winning many school competitions and
awards, including the Dean's Certificate of Merit in 2008 and 2009 here.

This year, Mohd Hakim, a Petronas scholar, won the Society of Petroleum
Engineers Merit award. He is studying for his Bachelor of Engineering (Petrolum)
Honours at the University of Adelaide.

He paid tribute to his parents, Hamid Shafie, a police officer, and Siti
Faridah Mohamad, a teacher, for their encouragement and "endless sacrifice to
raise my nine siblings".

The third winner was Pratiban Parthiban, a former SMK La Salle Petaling Jaya
student, who is studying for a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) at the University
of South Australia.

"I am fortunate to have supportive and dedicated parents," he said, adding
that his father had always been a source of inspiration.

His father is Parthiban Sinnappan, an Assistant Director at the Examinations
Syndicate of the Ministry of Education while his mother, Thanaletchumy Moorthy,
is a teacher at SMK Assunta, Petaling Jaya.
-- BERNAMA