Mohamad Hafiz Celebral palsy sufferer earns degree in software engineering

Super mum, super son!

Celebral palsy sufferer earns degree in software engineering, and mother gets special recognition for dedication 

PUTRAJAYA, 15 Dis -- Penerima Anugerah Doktor Kehormat Falsafah, Sultan Pahang, Sultan Ahmad Shah dan Sultanah Pahang yang juga Canselor Universiti Limkokwing, Sultanah Kalsom berkenan bergambar bersama penerima Anugerah "Above and Beyond - The Call of Duty", Banu Aboo Haniffa (dua kanan) ibu kepada graduan Ijazah Kejuruteraan Perisian, Mohamad Hafiz Mohamed Siraj (depan) pada majlis Konvokesyen Universiti Limkokwing di Pusat Konvensyen Antarabangsa Putrajaya di sini, hari ini.

Turut sama ialah Isteri Perdana Menteri, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor (kiri), Presiden Universiti Limkokwing,

 Tan Sri Dr Lim Kok Wing (tiga kiri) dan Bapa kepada Mohamad Hafiz, Mohamed Siraj (kanan).
Anugerah itu diberikan kepada Banu Aboo Haniffa berdasarkan pengorbanan menemani anaknya, 

Mohamad Hafiz yang mengalami masalah kecacatan pendengaran dan berkerusi roda (OKU) selama lima tahun pengajian Ijazah Kejuruteraan Perisian di Universiti Limkokwing.
Sumber foto kredit kepada: BERNAMA (2012) 

DOUBLE JOY: Hafiz looks at his graduation photograph with proud mother Banu beside him

PUTRAJAYA: Kasih ibu membawa ke syurga. Begitulah perumpamaan sesuai ditujukan kepada seorang wanita yang berkorban masa dan tenaga bagi menemani anak lelakinya yang mengalami masalah kecacatan pendengaran dan berkerusi roda selama lima tahun di universiti.

Berkat kesabaran itu, Banu Aboo Haniffa, 49, ibu kepada graduan Ijazah Sarjana Muda Kejuruteraan Perisian dari Universiti LimKokWing, Mohamad Hafiz Mohamed Siraj, 25, kini tersenyum bangga apabila anaknya berjaya menggenggam segulung ijazah.

Mengakui awalnya sukar mendapatkan institusi pengajian tinggi bersesuaian untuk anaknya, Banu berkata, dia dan suami, Mohamed Siraj Abdul Razack, 55, pernah berputus asa selepas mendapati sukar menempatkan Hafiz di universiti yang mempunyai kemudahan untuk OKU.






“Kami kehilangan idea di mana untuk menghantar Hafiz melanjutkan pelajaran, kami mencari banyak institusi tetapi kebanyakannya tiada kemudahan untuk pelajar seperti Hafiz."

 “Namun, pertemuan dengan pensyarah LimKokWing, V Yogeswari, memberikan sinar baru kepada kami, di mana Hafiz diterima masuk di kampus Universiti LimKokWing di Cyberjaya dengan memulakan pengajian Bahasa Inggeris, sebelum meneruskan kursus Kejuruteraan Perisian,” katanya.

 Sumber; Harian Metro, Disember 2012.

Super mum, super son!

Celebral palsy sufferer earns degree in software engineering, and mother gets special recognition for dedication

THE dedication shown by Banu Aboo Haniffa in ensuring that her 25-year-old son, Muhammad Hafiz Razack, who suffers from celebral palsy, earn a university degree has not only paid off — she herself has earned recognition for her selflessness.

Hafiz graduated with a degree in software engineering from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology on Saturday.


Banu, 49, had spent the best part of the last four years accompanying Hafiz to his class-es in Cyberjaya so she could double up as his interpreter as Hafiz could only understand sign language.

Hafiz, who has been suffering from celebral palsy since birth, is hearing-impaired and also wheelchair-bound, which made it difficult for his parents to find a suitable higher education institute that could accommodate him.

“He studied in a normal class. I would go into the class with him everyday and interpret what the lecturers were saying to him,” Banu told The Malay Mail at the family’s home in Kota Kemuning yesterday.

She said Hafiz decided to take up software engineering as he loved computers but it took him four years to com-plete the course as he could only cope with take four subjects in a semester.

“Six subjects were too much for us,” she said.Although he took longer than usual to complete his studies, Hafiz was no less a brilliant student.

A quick check on his results slip show that during the first semester last year, he scored As in all the four subjects — even chalking up 4.00 pointers for three of them.

“When his graduation came along, the lecturers who have noticed what I have been doing decided to give me a special award as well,” Banu said.

At Hafiz’s convocation ceremony at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) on Saturday, Banu was handed a special appreciation award presented by Sultanah Hajjah Kalsom Abdullah of Pahang.

When Hafiz was doing his Form 4 at a special school for the deaf, Banu realised that he would be unable to go up four floors where his classes were.

She and her husband, Mohammad Siraj Razack, then funded a series of renovations that resulted in a ground-floor store room being converted into a classroom.

They even installed a communications microphone that enabled Hafiz to communicate with his class on the fourth floor.

“After that, we realised there were three students with polio who took two hours to go up four floors to their classes and another two hours to come down.

So we got the children to use the ground floor classroom,” she said.

Now that Hafiz had finally obtained his scroll, Banu said her son’s dream remains to study for at least a semester at the Gallaudet University for the deaf in Washington, United States.

“I’m waiting for my other three daughters — Shuhaiba, Mardhiyah and Nurul — to settle down first. Maybe after that, I will follow him and help him fulfill his dream to study there,” she said.

In the meantime, the family is contemplating sending Hafiz for an internship at a local broadcasting company.

Sources; The Malay Mail

Disabled student becomes Limkokwing’s first software engineering graduate

KUALA LUMPUR – With his grit and love from his mother, Muhammad Hafiz Mohmed Siraj succeeded to become the first graduate in software engineering with multiple disabilities at Limkokwing University, leaving adversities speechless.

At the university’s December 2012 convocation ceremony, Muhammad Hafiz, 25, who is suffering from hearing impairment and limited use of his limbs, received his scroll from Sultan of Pahang, Sultan Ahmad Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar Riayatuddin Shah, who is accompanied by Sultanah Kalthom.

Also present were Prime Minister’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor dan founder of Lim Kok Wing University Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Lim Kok Wing.

And by his side, his ever supportive mother, Banu Aboo, 46, who had been attending classes with him, to facilitate his understanding. During the ceremony, she received an award entitled “above and beyond the call of duty” for her tireless effort towards her son’s success.

It had been a long journey, and at every step of the way Muhammad Hafiz’s family had been his strongest support, always finding ways to ensure he reached every milestone in his academic struggle.

From primary to secondary school, it had been an uphill task for this family.

In 2004, Muhammad Hafiz, was accepted at the Sekolah Menengah Datuk Ibrahim in Jalan Ipoh to prepare for his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations.

Upon completion of his SPM in 2006, when Muhammad Hafiz expressed his desire to pursue his tertiary studies, his parents then brainstormed to find the right institution for him.

“We were losing hope and had no idea of where to take him, we looked everywhere and in some of the schools we stumbled upon, there were no facilities to cater for his condition,” says his mother, who is ever enthused to make sure her son achieves his goals.

A chance meeting with Yogeswari Veerakathy, a lecturer for the hearing impaired at Limkokwing University, provided Banu with the solution.

She took Yogeswari’ advice and brought Muhammad Hafiz to the campus in Cyberjaya.

Muhammad Hafiz started by enrolling to do English studies. Later, he enrolled to do a course in software engineering, an unusual choice because most of the hearing impaired students enrolled at the university almost always signed up to do design.

He could not do the design course because his hands were weak and he did not want strain them.

“I also wanted to be a photographer but this would require a lot of standing and walking around,” lamented Mohammed Hafiz.

His lecturer Anand Ramachandran recalled that Muhammad Hafiz was very good with numbers and was very competitive in class.

“He would actually scold his mother if she tried to correct him with something because he preferred to figure things out for himself.”

Throughout the five years, he had taken six modules every semester, and these required him to put extra effort, which consumed a lot of his time.

Nevertheless, with the help of his supportive lectures and his mother, who actually attended classes with him as his interpreter, Muhammad Hafiz achieved his goal of graduating.

What’s next for Muhammad Hafiz after he graduates?

“I want to be successful in life, to make it on my own and not depend on anybody and I hope one day I will be able to walk,” he said.

He expressed his wish to travel to Canada or Australia to improve his knowledge.

Judging from his resilience and determination, it is not impossible for him to make his dreams come true, especially when he has his mother by his side to assist in every way possible.

Of all the students who graduated this month, Muhammad Hafiz, certainly will be the happiest.

Sultan Pahang terima Ijazah Doktor Kehormat Universiti Limkokwing

PUTRAJAYA 15 Dis. - Sultan Pahang, Sultan Ahmad Shah menerima Ijazah Doktor Kehormat Falsafah Universiti Limkokwing di atas sumbangan besar baginda dalam pembangunan sosioekonomi rakyat di negeri itu.

Anugerah yang penuh bermakna itu disampaikan Canselor universiti, Sultanah Pahang, Sultanah Dr. Kalsom dalam Majlis Konvokesyen Universiti Limkokwing di Pusat Konvensyen Antarabangsa Putrajaya (PICC) di sini hari ini.

Sultan Ahmad Shah bertitah, baginda berasa begitu berbesar hati dengan anugerah yang diberikan oleh sebuah institusi pengajian tinggi swasta (IPTS) yang terkenal dengan budaya inovasi di negara ini.
"Kreativiti amat 'hidup' di universiti ini dan diterjemahkan menerusi pelbagai cara.

"Beta amat berbangga Malaysia mempunyai sebuah universiti yang terdapat anak muda dari pelbagai negara bagi membina kemahiran untuk masa depan," titah baginda.

Yang turut hadir ialah isteri Perdana Menteri, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor; Timbalan Menteri Pengajian Tinggi, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah dan Presiden Universiti Limkokwing, Tan Sri Dr. Lim Kok Wing.

Sebanyak 1,000 graduan dari 56 negara menerima ijazah masing-masing termasuk 200 graduan Felda menerima ijazah dalam majlis tersebut.

Dalam majlis sama, Sultanah Kalsom berkenan menyampaikan Anugerah Canselor kepada lapan graduan terbaik dan Anugerah Inovasi dan kreativiti Datuk Seri Najib Razak (tujuh graduan).

Baginda turut berkenan menyampaikan Anugerah Khas kepada Banu Aboo Haniffa, 49, iaitu ibu pelajar kurang upaya, Muhamad Hafiz Mohamed Siraj, 25, penerima Ijazah Sarjana Muda Kejuruteraan Perisian yang mengalami masalah pendengaran dan tidak dapat berjalan.

Banu ketika ditemui berkata, pada mulanya dia dan suami, Mohamed Siraj Abdul Razack, 55, berputus asa selepas kesukaran untuk menempatkan Mohamad Hafiz di universiti yang mempunyai kemudahan untuk orang kurang upaya (OKU).

"Kami sudah kehilangan idea di mana untuk menghantar Mohamad Hafiz melanjutkan pelajaran. Kami sudah mencari banyak institusi tetapi kebanyakannya tidak mempunyai kemudahan untuk pelajar seperti Hafiz.

"Tetapi pertemuan dengan pensyarah, V. Yogeswari memberi sinar baharu kepada kami. Mohamad Hafiz diterima masuk di kampus Universiti Limkokwing, Cyberjaya dengan memulakan pengajian Bahasa Inggeris, sebelum meneruskan kursus kejuruteraan perisian," katanya.

Banu berkata, anak sulung dari empat beradik itu mengalami masalah kelumpuhan otak (cerebral pasly) sejak lahir selepas dia dijangkiti demam campak ketika mengandung.

"Saya hanya membantu menterjemah apa yang diajar pensyarah, selebihnya atas usaha Hafiz sendiri yang sangat komited dan bekerja bersungguh-sungguh untuk berjaya.

"Saya tidak pernah menyangka dia akan berjaya menamatkan pengajian, dan saya amat berbangga dengan pencapaiannya," katanya.

Bagi Mohamad Hafiz pula, dia menghadiahkan kejayaan menamatkan pengajian kepada ibunya yang sanggup bersusah payah menemaninya selama ini

"Terima kasih kepada ibu yang banyak berkorban demi memastikan saya menerima ijazah. Saya mahu

Sumber: Utusan Melayu (M) Bhd