In Seremban, Maryam Qanitah Rosli, 18, a student under the special project for the poor, scored all As for the 11 subjects she sat for in the 2016 SPM.

Maryam, a student of Sekolah Menengah Agama Persekutuan Labu (SMAPL), near here, said she did not buy any additional reference books but only depended on books in the school library.

“My mother only earns RM900 a month as a teacher at Sekolah Kebangsaan Nyatoh, Rantau so I just have to learn to make do with whatever is available,” said Maryam Qanitah whose father died when she was five.

Maryam said she would have her meals and focus on her studies while in school, because once she was home she had to help her mother with the daily chores and tend to her younger siblings, aged 12 to 16 years.

Despite her excellent results, Maryam intends to study in a local university to be near her family.

“I hope to get a scholarship to further my study at Universiti Malaya. My interest is in actuarial science,” she said.