A total of 60 high-achieving students in Padang Terap who excelled in the 2025 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination will be rewarded with educational trips to Japan and Indonesia.
The initiative, organised by NGO Anak Muda MADANI Kedah, aims to recognise and celebrate the students’ academic success while providing them with valuable international exposure.
Its chairman, Datuk Zuraidi Rahim, said 20 top-performing students from the organisation’s adopted schools will be taken to Japan, while another 40 students from seven other schools in the district will travel to Jakarta, Indonesia.
He explained that the original plan was to bring the selected students to London, but the destination was changed following discussions with the Kedah Education Department and the district education office due to ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia.
The educational trips are scheduled to take place in May, before the students begin their studies at higher education institutions.
Zuraidi emphasised that the programme is not merely recreational, but will include structured academic and educational activities, such as visits to universities in both countries.
In Indonesia, students are expected to visit several government-recognised universities, particularly those offering medical programmes, while in Japan, they will explore cities such as Tokyo and Osaka to gain insight into the country’s education system and technological advancement.
He expressed hope that the initiative would inspire students to continue striving for excellence in their academic journeys.
Zuraidi also revealed that students in Padang Terap who achieve a perfect CGPA of 4.0 in the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) examination may be rewarded with a future educational trip to Bali, Indonesia.
