By Siti Lailatul Mastura Norazlan
Photo Corporate Communications Centre

BANGI, 2 November 2019 – Being married at a young age should not be seen as a hindrance to achieving academic success such as being presented with the Vice Chancellor Award during the 47^th Convocation Ceremony of National University of Malaysia.

Muhammad Alif Fitri Abdul Halim, decided to end his single status at a young age of 21, sees marriage as the burning torch to his academic success.

“Being married at a young age while both of us are still studying, comes with a lot of hurdles and obstacles. It is quite challenging to manage my time between my roles as a student, husband and father”, he said.  “But that is not an excuse for me to not be active in university. My wife and I both stay on campus (his wife is in Islamic Science University of Malaysia, USIM). We only see each other during the weekends, and even that is not often because I am quite involved in several co-curricular activities and social organisations,” said Fitri, who is active in voluntary work especially with non-governmental organisations (NGO) such as Yayasan Amar Al Fateh.

But being on campus doesn’t mean that he neglects his responsibility towards his family.

“No matter how busy I am, I will always prioritize my wife and my parents as they are the torch that light my way and gave me the strength to achieve this success”.

“My parents, Abdul Halim Abdullah and Siti Hajar Nawawi have supported me a lot especially in assisting me financially. Associate Professor Dr. Erni Aziati, my supervisor, was also generous with his guidance and advice. And of course, my wife, Norhaslina Abdul Ghani for the willingness to accept me as I am from the moment we met until now. They are my pillar of strength” Fitri said.

He said that with proper planning, he successfully managed to overcome the hurdles.

Father to a young adorable baby, he is active in leadership and holds several positions in student organisations on campus. He is also active in voluntary activities off campus.

“I am confident that UKM is the place for me to broaden my potential and interests”, he said.

Alif Fitri, hails from Teluk Intan Perak. He was conferred with a Bachelor’s Degree in Islamic Studies (Arabic Studies and Islamic Civilization), having achieved a CGPA of 3.78.