One door among many
E News- May 7
- 4 min read
By Mohd Zaidi Md Zabri
The announcement of this year’s SPM results brought a wave of excitement across the country. With 14,179 candidates achieving straight A’s — the highest in over a decade — there is much to be proud of. These results reflect not only the discipline and resilience of students, but also the tireless support of teachers, parents, and school communities.
Congratulations to those who reached their goals. You’ve earned this moment. May your results lead you to the opportunities you seek, and may you walk through them with purpose and humility.
But as headlines rightfully celebrate these achievements, it’s worth remembering this: SPM opens many doors, but it is not the only road to a meaningful life.
When Things Don’t Go According to Plan
To those who didn’t get as many A’s as they’d hoped, or who feel they’ve fallen short — this message is especially for you. Your journey is not over. In fact, it may just be getting started.
You’re not alone. According to the Ministry of Education, 1,789 candidates — about 0.5% of all students who sat for SPM 2024 — did not pass. While that may seem like a small number, each one represents a student who may be feeling uncertain, discouraged, or even left behind right now. But don’t let one result convince you that this is the end of the road. An exam reflects a moment in time — not the totality of your potential, and certainly not your worth.
I say this not from theory, but from experience.
Several decades ago — though it felt like several lifetimes and at least two economic crises ago — I enrolled in an engineering program at a local university. Not because I dreamt of building bridges or designing power grids, but because everyone else seemed to be doing it. I mistook peer pressure for purpose.
Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long before the cracks started to show. I struggled to connect with the material, and lectures began to feel more like background noise than inspiration. My grades slipped. My interest vanished.
And eventually, so did I — officially dismissed from the program. At the time, it felt like failure with a capital F. I wasn’t just off-track; I felt like I had derailed entirely.
Starting Over, and Taking the Long Way
But as life often proves, failure isn’t always the end. Sometimes, it’s the beginning of a better route.
I decided to start over. My SPM results were modest — mostly credits, with just two A’s — but they were enough to get me started. I enrolled in a diploma program, the first step in a longer journey that eventually led to a degree, a master’s, and ultimately, a PhD. It wasn’t a straight path. My peers were graduating, building careers, and moving ahead. I was still finding my footing, still figuring out who I was meant to become.
In hindsight, that so-called delay was exactly what I needed. It gave me time to figure out what truly mattered. That winding path eventually led me to where I am today: an educator in Islamic economics and finance, a field I now consider a calling.
It wasn’t the most direct or conventional route, but it taught me patience, resilience, and the quiet determination to keep going. It’s also why the concept of grit resonates so strongly.
Why Grit Matters More Than Ever
Prof. Dr Angela Duckworth, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, defines grit as a combination of passion and perseverance in pursuit of long-term goals. In her landmark 2007 study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, she found that grit — more than IQ, exam scores, or raw talent — was the strongest predictor of success across diverse settings, from Ivy League undergraduates to West Point military cadets.
The paper, which has since been cited over 11,000 times in academic literature, showed that those who kept going — especially when things got difficult — were the ones most likely to succeed.
In today’s world, where change is constant and challenges are many, that kind of perseverance matters more than ever.
Yes, SPM is important. It opens doors. It signals discipline and potential. But it is not the only road to a fulfilling future. Nor is it the only way to define your worth.
In Malaysia today, there are more routes to success than ever before. Vocational training, polytechnic programs, digital skills development, entrepreneurship, creative fields — all of these are legitimate and valuable.
Some students may thrive in conventional academic settings. Others may shine through hands-on work, innovation, or business ventures. We need all of them.
To the Class of 2024 and Beyond
To students celebrating today: well done. Walk through the doors your hard work has opened. But stay hungry, be kind, and never stop growing.
To those who feel unsure or are left behind: keep walking. Keep asking questions. Keep building your own road.
Because SPM is a milestone — yes. But it is not the final word. Some of life’s best lessons happen outside exam halls. They happen in detours, in dead ends, in do-overs. They happen when you get up, dust yourself off, and keep going anyway.
That is grit. And in the long run, grit will carry you further than any exam ever could.
Dr Mohd Zaidi Md Zabri is an Interim Director at the Centre of Excellence for Research and Innovation in Islamic Economics (i-RISE), ISRA Institute, INCEIF University.
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